I Can Show You I'll Be The One
by BecomingScarlett
Summary: 2 years after Breaking Dawn, Embry finds his imprint, but the situation quickly grows from bad to worse when he discovers she is not only involved with another man, but pregnant with his child. Can Embry prove he is the one Madison belongs with? Or is it too late to save his imprint from the wrong man? - Embry/OC Romance - Rated M for Language & Violent/Adult Situations.
1. 00 My True Love, My Whole Heart

**Dear Readers,**

**I wanted to say first that I won't be stopping with my Jacob Black story - Mine: The Unintended Imprintee of Jacob Black. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head of Embry and his Imprint. This first chapter/prologue (since it's so short) came so easily, I wanted to put it up and see what you think. I'll post the second chapter as soon as I get the next chapter for Mine up. I hope you like, and please review:)**

**Check out the photobucket for this story (link on my profile page) to see a couple pictures of Madison. I'll be adding more as the story goes on.**

**-BecomingScarlett**

**DISCLAIMER (I'm only posting this once): Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I do not. **

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**00. My True Love, My Whole Heart**

Close Call on Graduation Night

_Matthew Wycoff (19) of Bellevue, WA., and Madison Bennett (18), a new Graduate of Forks High School, were in a nearly fatal car accident late Friday night. On their way home from the school's Graduation, Wycoff veered off the road and into a tree head-on. Luckily, Wycoff walked away from the accident with only minor cuts and bruises, and was able to get help for his passenger. Bennett was taken to Forks Community Hospital via ambulance, where she was held overnight for observation of possible head trauma. Bennett was released Saturday morning, and is recovering from a concussion and broken leg at home. The community is relieved the teens involved are alive, and hopes this close-call will be a reminder to our young drivers to be safe this summer, and always wear seat belts! _

I run my fingers over the words of the crumpled newspaper article, creased and wrinkled from the many times I've folded and unfolded it this summer. My eyes linger on her name: Madison Bennett…Madison…Madison…Maddie…When I close my eyes, I can see her face. Her pale olive skin, soft and warm. Long waves of brown hair, cascading around her face and down her arms nearly to her elbows. Chocolate brown eyes, alive with light. Whenever I blink, I can see her.

I sigh, refolding the article and placing it back inside my wallet.

Too bad the only time I see _her_ is when I'm blinking…or dreaming.

Its crazy how differently I view the world now, compared to the way I saw things a few short months ago. Imprinting is something so monumentally life-changing, there are hardly words to describe what it feels like, what it _is. _I guess instinctually, I was always looking for her, even without knowing who she was. I never realized once I found her, I would cease to be me…Embry Call no longer exists because my whole being is a part of her.

And how pathetic is that? I am mentally and physically connected, in tune, _as one_, with a girl, a young woman, who **doesn't even know who I am! **Even if she did, it wouldn't matter, because she's gone.

I still remember that night clearly, the night I imprinted on Madison and lost myself. It was Sam and Emily's wedding that day, and the whole pack gathered on the beach for the ceremony, along with family and friends. It was a simple but beautiful ceremony, and very...Emily and Sam. They'd been together five years, and it was obvious to everyone, even those who didn't know of the imprint, that the two are soulmates. Everyone was happy for them, even Leah; although she has been a Hell of a lot more likeable since she imprinted last winter, and yeah, it is weird seeing Leah so happy after years of her constant fury.

I suppose that is why the whole subject of imprinting was weighing heavily on my mind that night. I'd only learned what it was, what, five years ago? And yet it was practically an obsession. What would it feel like? Who would it be? Would she like me? I had so many questions. After Sam imprinted on Emily, the first of the pack to phase and the first to find his soulmate, Jared and Paul found their mates soon after in Kim and Rachel. They each had their complications, but it all worked out in the end. When Quil imprinted on Emily's neice, Claire, we were all shocked and confused. Why would fate bring him to his mate when she was only a baby? But we soon realized that imprints come to us in different ways, and so does love. Seeing Quil care for Claire as a protector, and as someone who only wanted the best for her, it was different than what Sam, Jared and Paul went through. Quil had to adapt to a completely unexpected situation. It made it easier when Jacob imprinted on Renesmee to know that he wasn't the only one who'd have to wait for is imprint's love. More than half the pack found their imprints in a year and a half. That left me with more questions. _Why didn't I imprint yet? How long will I have to wait? What if I never imprint? What if I'm an exception and I'm not meant to have a mate? _

I had no idea that anxious feeling would get worse when both Leah and Seth, who'd phased after me, found their imprints within months of each other. Brady and Collin have yet to imprint, but really, what does that mean to me? That doesn't make me feel any better. They shouldn't even have phased until next year or later, and if Victoria hadn't gone and made an army of newborn vampires they'd probably still be regular kids. They have plenty of time to find their imprints. Why do I feel like I've already been searching a hundred years? Before I knew about imprinting, I was in no hurry to find a soulmate and settle down with one girl. I _was_ only fifteen then though, so why would I have been thinking that way? At nineteen, twenty soon, I wasn't ready to get married yet, but I wanted to know who she was.

Looking back, maybe I'd felt so anxious that night because somehow I knew my path would soon cross with **hers.**

Towards the end of the wedding reception, Quil and I traded places with Paul and Jacob, and split up to do our routine patrol of the land. Things had been pretty quiet in the area, what with our alliance with the Cullens, and Renesmee being Jacob's imprint and all. After convincing the Volturi that Renesmee was, in fact, a natural-born half-human half-vampire child, we haven't had too many trespassers. Not that I'd complain. The close to two years of peace we've had has been really nice.

Anyways, Quil went in one direction, and I in the other. I heard the accident as it happened: the screeching tires, the initial impact, and scraping of metal against metal as the car crunched against the tree. It was horribly loud and terrifying. As I ran towards the noise, I thought for sure the passengers of the car would be dead. I did have the sense to phase back to my human self before running upon the scene. I was surprised to see the driver's side door wide open, and the seat behind the steering wheel vacant. I thought to myself, _did they run for help? _Noting that there was a passenger, I made my way over to the mangled front-end of the car that contained the girl I'd unknowingly been searching my whole life for. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely from a wound on her head, hidden by her long brown hair. Quil burst through the tree-line then, and I had ordered him to call for an ambulance.

While waiting, I tried to pry open the passenger side door. It took all my strength to crack it open, but even after opening the door, I couldn't get the girl out. She was stuck, her left leg pinned at an irregular angle by the weight of the car that bent over her body. I was afraid if I moved it, I'd only cause her more pain. I was shocked, really, that she was even breathing. I gently reached over her body to unbuckle her seatbelt, hoping my efforts to remove her from the vehicle would be helpful to the medics who arrive with the ambulance. I tried assessing her head wound, but I didn't want to touch since my hands weren't clean, and I knew nothing about First Aid. One of the benefits of being a shape-shifter is that I heal quickly, so I've never had the need to learn. I wished I knew at the moment, though. I decided holding her hand was the best I could do, at the time.

Much to my amazement, that simple gesture woke her from her unconscious state. Her body twitched slightly, and then her eyes opened. She looked around the car, dazed at the sight of the wreck. Then, she looked to me, those chocolate brown eyes wide with panic, and glazed over with shock.

"What happened?" She'd asked me groggily.

I couldn't answer though because I was too busy trying to figure that out for myself. What did happen? Did I just…but I knew I had. I imprinted. I felt it, just like Jacob described. The whole world shifted under my feet, and for a moment I felt like I was floating and everything beneath me was shaking and rumbling, but when it settled, I was finally where I was meant to be all along. Before, she'd been off the map, but now she was the map. She is the center of my world. Does that even make any sense? I don't know if it does, and maybe I sound like a tool, but that's how I felt right then.

I still feel that way, but the center of my world has gone missing, and the uncertainty of not knowing when or if I'll see her again is agonizing.

When the ambulance came for Madison, I didn't want to let her go. She clung to my hand while the EMT's worked to dislodge her leg from the crushed vehicle, and I assured her everything would be all right. She kept asking what happened? She didn't seem to know who was supposed to be driving the car. And even though she didn't know me, she didn't want me to leave her. I wanted to, but I couldn't go in the ambulance with her, and when I did go to visit her at the hospital I wasn't allowed in. I hadn't known her name, and the nurses were suspicious of my 'behavior'. The day after that was when I found the newspaper article on her accident and cut out the clipping, placing it in my wallet to carry with me everywhere I went. I had looked up her address from her last name, and called to see how she was, acting as a concerned friend from her graduating class at Forks High, but her parents said she left town with her boyfriend. **Boyfriend.** The one word no man wants to hear connected to _his_ imprint. Another couple of words that make my hot blood run cold: left town, _gone._ _How can she be gone_, I thought, _when I just found her?_

Two and a half months goes by agonizingly slow when the center of your world is missing. I'd relate it to trying to breathe underwater, or live without sunlight, but that might be a bit overdramatic. Maybe not. I've never tried breathing underwater or living in complete darkness...without Madison there it couldn't be much worse than where I'm at right now. I'm driving myself crazy wondering where she is and what she's doing and if she's okay. At this point, I'd be content if I just knew she was safe, happy. I just want some sign that she didn't actually drop off the face of the Earth.

_Where are you, Madison Bennett?_

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_Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart  
Please don't throw that away  
Cuz I'm here for you  
Please don't walk away and  
Please tell me you'll stay, stay_

Use me as you will  
Pull my strings just for a thrill  
And I know I'll be okay  
Though my skies are turning gray

I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

_-Your Guardian Angel, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

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**Please Review, I'd love feedback:) Next chapter will be in Madison's POV, and will be going back a little bit. It will be longer too, because this was sort of a prologue. **


	2. 01 A Hospital Stay

**Here is Chapter 2, in Madison's POV, as promised. This is going back to right after the car accident. I hope you like! Please review, I'd love feedback on what you think of the story so far(: Check out the photobucket for this story, the link is on my profile page! I added more pictures. I'll be adding a picture or two every chapter to go along with the story(:**

**-BecomingScarlett**

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**01. A Hospital Stay**

I wake reaching out for something..._someone._ I don't recall who, but I know someone isn't here, and they should be. There's a...warmth missing at my side.

"Don't..." I murmur, my heart pounding hard in my ribcage. I clear my throat and begin again, louder, "Don't leave me..."

"Madison? Are you awake?"

I blink a few times, my eyes foggy and sleep-hazed. The room is too bright and everything is white and cold. I turn my head in the direction of the familiar voice, and wince at the stiffness in my neck and back. My head is throbbing above my right temple.

"What happened?" I blurt out. I can feel myself beginning to panic. _How did I get here? Where am I? What happened? Why does my whole body ache?_ My heart is pounding so loud I can feel it echoing through my ears. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Nurse! She's awake!" I can hear my boyfriend, Matt, calling loudly from somewhere off to the side.

"Matt," I croak out, my throat dry, "What happened to me?" I realize I'm in the hospital now that I heard him yelling for a nurse. This is definitely not the Nurse's Office at Forks High School. I'd recognize it. Besides, I was supposed to be at Graduation...right?

"Madds," Matt's face appears above me, finally in my line of vision. His dark, wavy hair is mussy as usual, and his brown eyes are dark and baggy like he didn't sleep enough. He picks up my hand and explains, "We were in an accident. We're at the hospital."

"A car accident?" I ask, wrinkling up my brow in thought. "I can't remember..." I shake my head, trying really hard to recall what happened before I woke up.

"How are you feeling, Miss Bennett?" A low, soothing voice calls for my attention from the opposite side of the bed that Matt is standing. A man, tall and lean, with blonde hair, and the features of a model is wearing a white coat. _Is this my doctor?_ He has a youthful face with sharp features, and gentle eyes of a unique golden brown. He is rather pale, and like Matt, could use some sleep, but it doesn't take away from his good looks any. "I'm Dr. Cullen. Do you remember your accident?"

I shake my head, wincing again at the pain the simple motion causes. "No," I reply, feeling overwhelmed, "I don't remember. I...remember..." I concentrate really hard on the pictures that flash across my eyelids as I blink. "...getting ready for Graduation. I think I was with Heather. I don't remember going to Graduation though. Was that when the accident happened? Did I miss Graduation?"

"No Madison," Dr. Cullen informs me, "You graduated. Matt says you went for dinner afterwards, to celebrate with himself and your family. You went to your favorite seafood restaurant in La Push. Do you remember any of that?" I shake my head, much slower and more carefully this time. "Okay, that's all right. You don't need to worry about that right now. I'm going to ask you a few questions, just to make sure you aren't suffering from any serious memory loss. Can you tell me your full name?"

"Madison Anne Bennett," I reply.

"Good," Dr. Cullen praises. "When is your birthday?"

"February sixteenth, nineteen-ninety," I answer.

"Excellent. Do you know who your parents are?"

My face clouds at the question, but I begrudgingly answer, "My _mother_ is Michelle Bennett. But I don't know who my father is. _She_ won't tell me. Edwin Bennett is my _step_-father." He's a perfectly wonderful man, too. He's not evil or abusive. He never tried to feel me up while my mom was sleeping. In fact, he raised me as his own. That's my only issue with him. He acted like my father and never once had the balls to admit it was all an act. He lied, and so did Mom, and I will never forgive them. Because no matter what they say, no matter how many times they insist they only hid the truth from me to protect me, I know that's not the case. Mom lied because she's too ashamed to admit she made a mistake and ended up with me as the consequence. I don't see why it's such a big shocker. Girls get pregnant without meaning to every day. Every hour, probably, if not more than that. It's not fair that means I can't know who my real dad is. He's a part of me, I want to know him. She doesn't understand.

"Okay." Dr. Cullen ignores my negative comment and continues with his questions, "And do you have any siblings?"

"Two brothers," I reply, bored with this back-and-forth crap already, "Vinnie and Logan. They're thirteen and ten. Look, I know this is probably routine or whatever, but I remember everything. I just don't remember the accident. I don't remember how I got here."

Dr. Cullen sees I'm struggling to sit up, without much success since this hospital bed is has me trapped tighter than a straight jacket. He pushes a magic button on the side which elevates me to a sitting position. I give him a tired sort-of smile in thanks. He scans over his clipboard and says, "I think when you hit your head during the crash, the trauma to your head damaged your short-term memory loss. You're lucky it is only a short gap in your memory that has gone away."

"Will I ever remember what happened?" I interrupt quickly, feeling panicked at the thought of having an event occur that I don't physically remember happening and never will.

"I can't say for sure," Dr. Cullen answers truthfully. "It may come back in time, something might trigger your memory, or else it might never come back to you. You only lost a few hours, from what you said you do remember. Your accident occurred when Matt was driving you back home after dinner. It was after eleven o'clock-"

"I'll tell her what happened!" Matt talks over the doctor rudely, much like an impatient child. I guess I shouldn't have expected much more from Matt. He's two years older than me, but he doesn't always act like it. He squeezes my hand; I'd forgotten he was even holding it until that moment. "I'm so sorry, Madds, I don't know what happened. I looked at you for one second, and when I looked back the tree was right in front of us. It was too late for me to correct the wheel. I tried to slow down, but we hit the tree...mostly on your side." He bites his lip and shakes his head shamefully, unable to meet my eyes. "Your body was crushed, and the EMT's had to pry you out of the car. I was so scared I was going to lose you. I was so scared." He presses his face into the thin cotton material of my hospital gown.

I place the hand he isn't holding on top of his head and run my fingers soothingly into his neck. "It's okay," I tell him reassuringly, "It's not your fault. It was an accident. And I am okay."

Dr. Cullen takes this moment to inform me of the injuries I sustained during the accident. "You suffered a compound fracture in your left leg. You'll have to wear the cast for the next two months, until your bones have healed. You also had fourteen stitches put in just above your hair-line here," He gestures towards the spot that's been throbbing since I woke up, right over my right temple. "From when the windshield shattered and cut you pretty good. Those can be taken out in about two weeks. We'll have to make an appointment to check on them in a few days. Other than that, you got off pretty lucky. You're going to be sore for the next week though. I'm sure you're already feeling the effects of that."

"Yeah," I agree, "I am definitely feeling sore. Is there any way I could get something for that? I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

"Well, with your unique...condition," Dr. Cullen pauses to give me a pointed look, "We've put you on a low-dose pain-killer. You'll have a prescription available for the next few weeks. I just have to request you only take it if you really need it." He doesn't elaborate, but I know what he means by 'unique condition'. I know what that look meant. I used to be a drug addict. I went to rehab last summer, and it hasn't even been a whole year yet since I've been clean. _Well, mostly clean._ Doctors don't like prescribing medications to drug addicts, ex or otherwise. I was never even into popping pills, cocaine was always my drug of choice, but whatever. I guess I'll have to accept I'm going to be grouped into that category for a while still. It's probably a good idea, anyways. Matt wouldn't be able to resist if the Doc had prescribed me any good pain killers.

"So, am I okay to go home now?" I ask, anxious to get out of here as soon as possible. I'm not a big fan of doctors or needles or blood. It all makes me queasy.

"Maddie, it's like three in the morning," Matt comments, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. This room doesn't have windows, that I can see, and it's bright as day in here.

"It is?" I wrinkle up my face in clear confusion. "Why are all these lights on then?"

"We wanted to keep an eye on you until you woke up," Dr. Cullen explains, immediately flicking off the brightest light in the room and putting a relaxed setting to the room. "Head injuries can be unpredictable, so we didn't want to take any chances."

"Is my mom here?" I ask suddenly, unsure why the thought popped into my head. She's not in the room, but I guess there's still a chance she came to see if I'm all right. I'm still her daughter. She still cares, otherwise she wouldn't have taken me to dinner last night to celebrate my graduation. Although, I don't remember the dinner, so maybe it didn't go too well? She's still mad at me for moving in with Matt, as far as I remember.

"No," Matt answers. "Did you want her here? I told her not to bother coming down. It's late. You can see her tomorrow when we get home. She can come to our place if she wants to see you." Matt is sounding territorial again, like he has been lately when it comes to my parents. I know he's only trying to be supportive, be on _my side_, but sometimes I think he makes things worse. Mom and Eddie don't like Matt, they don't trust Matt, and they think he's a bad influence, so my using Matt to get back at them is doing exactly what I want it to do. I think. Well, if pushing my parents away to get back at them for lying to me is what I want to acheive, then I'm getting exactly what I want. _It would help if __**I**__ knew what I really want..._

"You can be discharged in the morning," Dr. Cullen promises. "Why don't you both get some rest? I'll be back in a few hours to do a few last tests before you can go."

"Okay," I agree, even though I don't like the sound of tests. I probably don't have much of a choice. After Dr. Cullen leaves, I turn to Matt and complain, "I hate hospitals."

"I know babe," Matt replies, his eyes on the silent TV across the room from my bed. "We'll be outta here soon, though. Don't worry." He finally looks at me, his expression curious. "So, you really don't remember anything that happened last night?"

"Nope." I say, kind of annoyed that he'd ask me again. I already told Dr. Cullen I don't remember anything. What reason do I have to lie about it? "It sucks. I don't remember my own graduation. I've been waiting since kindergarten for this day, and now I might never remember the big moment."

"Graduations are boring anyway," Matt complains. He's only saying that because he didn't graduate. He dropped out and got his GED. "Your name was called towards the beginning, and we still had to wait around for everyone else to be called before we could leave. I wanted to fall asleep. Or sneak outside for some..."

"Shh," I stop him from finishing his sentence, paranoid Dr. Cullen or the nurses might be spying on us. That's stupid to think, but...you never really know. "I know they're boring, but it's different when it's your own. So we really went to Riverside Restaurant, and I don't even remember it? What did I get?"

"Chicken," Matt says distractedly.

"_Chicken?"_ I repeat incredulously. "We went to Riverside and I got _chicken?_ Are you sure I didn't hit my head before we went to dinner?" I always get seafood at Riverside, especially if we were going for such a special occasion. I'm surprised to learn I didn't order lobster or some expensive fillet of fish...

"Chicken with shrimp," Matt elaborates. "And how do I know why you got it? You ordered it."

I frown at his short-temperment with me. What did I do to him? Maybe we were arguing last night and he's still mad? That's not fair though, I don't even remember it. I point out, "You look really tired, Matty, maybe we should get some sleep."

"All right Madison," Matt sighs, picking up the remote and powering off the TV, "You're not my mom. Go to sleep." He lays down on the hospital chair that pulls out in a not-so comfortable looking bed. He turns away from me and doesn't say anything else.

I stare at his back for a few moments, frustrated at him and myself, and this whole situation. What is he mad at me for? I'm the one laying here with a broken leg and stitches in my head! I'm the one who can't remember anything about last night! He could have a bit more sympathy. I roll onto my back, using the buttons Dr. Cullen showed me to recline the bed so I can go to sleep. This is why I wish my mom was here. I know I'm eighteen. I know I just graduated. I know I'm technically all grown up now, but that's a load of bullshit! I'm in the hospital and I'm hurting. I need my mom.

A few hours later, I'm awoken by a nurse pumping my next dose of pain medication into the IV in my hand. She was gentle, but I'm a very light sleeper. Matt is still asleep, I notice, although he'd rolled over in his sleep on his back so I can see his face now. He looks much nicer and cuddlier when he's sleeping. I wish I could climb out of this bed and curl up with him, but he'd probably be mad I woke him if I did. I can't get out of bed anyways; I have a broken leg and a cast up to mid-thigh. I'm debating whether or not I'll be able to fall asleep again when the middle-aged nurse warns me, "The Doctor wants to see you. I'm going to tell him you've woken up."

I nod and move the bed so I'm sitting up. My hands start to get sweaty and I wonder if Dr. Cullen is going to do his tests now. What will he do? I'm picturing all kinds of awful, horrible things...

When Dr. Cullen walks in, he doesn't look any more rested than before, and I can't help but comment, "You didn't get to sleep at all, Dr. Cullen?"

"Oh, no, I never do," Dr. Cullen jokes. I return his reserved smile. "I hope you slept a little?"

"I did, not sure how long though," I tell him. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eight," He replies. "I wouldn't have asked to speak with you so early, only I got your blood test result back, and I thought it would be best to speak with you as soon as you woke."

"What's wrong with my blood test?" I ask nervously. _Do they seriously do routine checks for marijuana at an over-night hospital stay? What is the world coming to?!_

"Did you know that you're pregnant?" Dr. Cullen asks bluntly.

My mouth drops open in shock, and I literally feel the blood drain from my face. "What?" I could not have heard him right. There's no way he just said..."Did you just say I'm _pregnant?_" I whisper the word in case Matt wakes up. He would freak out! There's no way he's ready for a baby. I'm not ready for a baby.

"Yes," the young doctor confirms. "You're four-to-five weeks along."

I shake my head, not caring that the motion makes my head pound unpleasantly and my achey neck creak in protest. "But...but what about the accident? I can't be pregnant...I would've known." I feel my eyes flood with tears and I blink them away, not ashamed for the doctor to see them. He must see people cry all the time. He must tell people worse news than he's telling me every day.

"Maddie?" I freeze when I hear Matt's voice. Now I'm ashamed at the tears. I don't want Matt to see me crying. "What's wrong?"

For some reason, I'm crying even harder after Matt sits up and rubs his eyes to wake up. He frowns, looking at the doctor and then back at me. Thankfully, Dr. Cullen doesn't blurt out the news to Matt. I guess he doesn't want to assume Matt is the father. He is, though. I haven't been with anyone but Matt in almost a year, ever since we got together. In rehab. I always used to joke that'd be a crazy story to tell our kids one day. I never meant anytime soon. Now I'm thinking it's not actually that funny to tell your kid you met their father when you were both in rehab for drug addiction. It sounds more like a bad day-time TV movie nobody wants to watch. Matt needs to know, though. He's got to be on my side about this...whatever side I decide I'm on.

On that note, I manage to pull it together enough to sniffle out, "I just found out I'm pregnant."

"What?" Matt's mouth drops open in shock the same way mine did.

"Yes," the doctor speaks up, this time confirming for Matt instead of me. "Four-to-five weeks. Your due date is right around your birthday next year."

"How is the baby okay?" Matt asks, which is what I've been wondering myself. "Maddie was nearly crushed to death in that car. She broke her leg, got a concussion, stitches...how can a baby be okay after all that?"

Instead of answering directly, Dr. Cullen shows us, by letting us hear the baby's heartbeat. That makes things so much more real. I think I even see tears in Matt's eyes, but I'm not sure if that's because he thinks it's a miracle a baby survived our near-death experience, like I do, or that he's scared to death we're having a baby. I think it might be the latter, and that makes me upset and confused. I don't even want to think about what I'm going to say to my parents. They will not be happy. They don't see me having a future with Matt, and now he's going to be in my future no matter what, even if we're not together. We'll always have this baby together.

I'm told because of my current condition, I'll have to use a wheelchair whenever I go out until my cast is taken off, and for the next two weeks I'm on a strict bed rest. This is going to be a _fun_ couple of weeks...not. Since our car is totalled, when Dr. Cullen says we're good to go, we have to call my mom to come and get us. She sounds relieved to hear from me, and she says she'll come right away.

"Don't tell your mom," Matt says before she arrives. "About, you know, the other thing."

"Yeah Matt," I say with a sigh, wondering why he can't just say _baby _or _pregnancy_, "I know. I won't tell her yet. I'm not ready."

"Well, I've been thinking a little, and I don't think it's something your parents should have a vote on," Matt tells me. _He's been thinking about it? How long? Thirty minutes?_ "I just mean, if you tell them now, they're going to try and take over, and you know they won't want me involved. We need to decide what's right for _us. _Without their influence. Maybe we should go to Bellevue for a while. We can stay with Nicole and Bobby, it's close to my parents, and they're way nicer to you than yours are to me anyways. They actually like you. They'll help take care of you until you're better."

"I don't know Matt," I say hesitantly. I've only met his parents one time, and even though they were nice, I don't know them that well. "I don't know if I'm ready to leave home so fast. I mean, staying at your place across down is one thing, but Bellevue is almost five hours away."

"So we'll come back after we have everything all figured out," Matt suggests. "Then if we decide we don't want this, they don't even need to know." I feel my stomach lurch when I get what he's suggesting. He wants to go to Bellevue to get rid of this...problem, this mistake. He doesn't want this, that's why he wants to get me away from my parents, because he knows they'll talk me into doing what's right. But what is right? How do I know? I'm only eighteen. This is Matt's decision too. Maybe he is right. "Come on, Maddie, trust me. Bellevue will be good for us. Just for a little while. We'll get everything straightened out, figure out what we want, and then we'll come back here. I promise it will be good for us." He smiles down at me, leaning over my hospital bed to kiss my forehead, and then my nose, and then my lips.

"Okay," I agree, "We'll go. But we come back after this cast comes off." I point to my bum leg.

Matt nods and kisses me again. "I love you, Madds."

"I love you," I return.

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**Please Review. Next chapter is also Madison's POV, and then we'll catch up with Embry in Chapter 3(:**


	3. 02 Homesick in Bellevue

**Thank you guys for reading and putting this story on your alerts! I hope you're liking it so far. I'm really enjoying writing it, and I can't wait to get started on the next chapter, since that one is going to be in Embry's POV again(: Don't be shy, leave me a review and let me know what you think! Oh, and check out the pictures in the photobucket I made for this story (link is on my profile). I add more every time I update, so check them out(:**

**One more thing: I changed the rating from T to M, because of Language and semi-adult themed situations. There is no sex (yet), but there will be later on, so I just wanted to point that out/give you a fore-warning. This chapter contains more swears than the first, so that's why the rating has been upped.**

**Hope you enjoy!:)**

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**02. Homesick in Bellevue**

If someone had told me last year that I could sit in bed everyday for two whole weeks, watching TV and eating anything I want to, I probably would have been all for it. The _idea_ behind 'bed rest' always sounds fun to those who haven't been forced to participate in the actual activity for a designated amount of time. Even after my assigned two weeks are up, I still feel like I've been put on house arrest because of my stupid broken leg. I can't get out of bed on my own, let alone take a shower or get dressed or any other normal routine thing. I feel like such a burden on Matt, and on Nicole and Bobby, who have been letting us stay with them for the past two months.

"Maddie!" Nicole yells from her and Bobby's bedroom upstairs, "Are you ready to go? I'll be down in a min!"

"Okay!" I call back. I've been ready for the past twenty minutes, but I'm in no position to complain when Nicole has been chauffeuring me around anywhere I need to go lately. Bobby got Matt a job at the packaging company he's been working for the past two years, and they work ten hour days Monday through Friday. The long hours have been good for us, we've been able to save up some money, but I'm lonely in this apartment all by myself. Nicole works part-time, and she has a lot of friends; she doesn't want to sit home with me all the time just because I'm temporarily crippled.

Today is the day I get my cast taken off though, and I'm really looking forward to being able to bend my leg again...and shave it, because it's probably _really_ hairy. At the same time, I'm a little nervous to have my cast removed. What if my leg is deformed? What if I can't walk right anymore? Dr. Cullen said there shouldn't be anything wrong with it; that it should have healed normally and I'll only need to learn a few physical therapy exercises to help re-strengthen my muscles. Matt tells me I worry too much, and it really gets on his nerves. He says I worry about everything lately: money, the pregnancy, my parents, and our future. In my opinion, _he's_ not worrying enough about this whole thing. Those are all valid things to worry about!

We still haven't reached a decision about our _situation_, as Matt insists on calling it, and I'm feeling like we never will. I don't want to get an abortion, but I also don't want to have this baby without Matt's support. He wants me to get an abortion, but he wants _me_ to want one too. We're at a dead-lock.

"Ready, Maddie-Wheels?" Nicole calls me by the nickname Bobby made up my first night here, when Nikki asked for permission to decorate my wheelchair. She leans her curvy hip against the doorframe of the living room which Matt and I have been using as a bedroom, and slides her black sunglasses over her dramatic blue eyes. Nicole's hair is black with purple streaks. She says she likes to change her hair color every month or so, just to 'stay original'. She is an inch or two shorter than me, but it'll be easier to tell for sure once I'm able to walk again, and has a much curvier body. She has a half-sleeve of flowers tattooed down her left arm, which Bobby and Matt have made perfectly clear they think is ridiculously sexy. _I could never get a tattoo...Too afraid of needles._

Nikki spins her car keys around on her finger and waits for me wheel over to her. I'm still not used to this wheelchair. It's so awkward and uncomfortable. I haven't been out much to use it though, so I guess that's why I didn't have a chance to become a pro-chair-wheeler...or whatever you'd call it. I answer enthusiastically, "I'm so ready. Let's go get this big dumb cast off me."

Nikki laughs and teases, "Aw, don't lie, you're gonna miss the cast. Look at all the pretty pictures I drew on it for you!" Then she says, "Don't throw that away! Keep it, it's cool. You can show your baby...well, if you have it." She bites her lip and turns away, knowing she just stepped into 'restricted territory'. Matt doesn't like me talking about the baby to anybody else. He says it should only be _our_ business.

Sometimes, I need someone else to talk to though, especially when he's not listening to me. "I want to keep it." The words slip out before I have the chance to change my mind.

"You do?" Nicole asks as her pencil-thin eyebrows rise practically to her hair-line in surprise. She helps me into her fire-engine red Jeep while she spills, "But I thought Matty was saving up for you guys to...you know..." She gestures towards my legs and makes a vacuum-sucking noise.

I push her hand away from my leg and say, "No," while shaking my head back and forth. I shudder at the thought of a giant vacuum sucking my baby out of me and inform Nicole, "I never told Matt that's what I wanted. Obviously I know it's what he does, but he won't even think about keeping it. He's too..." I trail off, not having the guts to describe Matt as _scared_ when Nicole has been friends with him longer than I've known him. She's been dating Bobby since high school, so close to five years now, and Bobby has known Matt since kindergarten. I can't trust that what I'm saying won't get back to him, either by her mouth or Bobby's. "Well, he's not sure we're ready."

"It's a big decision," Nicole says, in affirmation of Matt's opinion. She folds up my wheelchair and tosses it in the back before climbing in the driver's seat. "But I don't think it's impossible. I mean, you love each other, right?" She glances over at me while clicking her seat belt in place and I nod. "Fuck, I know Matty loves you. He wouldn't have moved all the way out to the boonies last year just to be with you if he didn't. I honestly think he'd do anything you want him to. If you really want to keep the baby, you could convince him." She shrugs her shoulders and adds, "But you didn't hear any of that from me, okay? We'll just keep this conversation our little secret."

"That's probably a good idea," I nod, relieved she asked to keep this a secret so I don't have to. "And thanks, I will talk to Matt." Although he's been more difficult to talk to as of late. He's been stressed out from work and never in the mood to talk or even just cuddle and lay with me. The weirdest thing: he hasn't even wanted to have sex. I think the thought of a baby inside of my body is turning him off. But hearing what Nikki said, about Matt saving up for an abortion, that is something I can't put off. If he thinks he can make a decision like that for me, he's sadly mistaken. This is _my_ body and I won't be forced into something I want no part in.

Once we arrive at the hospital, the visit is quick and painless. The doctor used a little saw to cut through the hard shell of the cast, and then pulled it right off. I think my leg looks weird. It looks pale and skinny, and my skin is all dry, but the doctor assures me this is all normal, and my leg will regain its strength and color soon enough. That makes me feel a little better, but I insist that my leg still looks ugly and weird. Nevertheless, I thank the doctor for granting my leg freedom, and I am allowed to walk out to Nikki's Jeep with the help of one crutch.

"I'm surprised you can walk on that chicken leg," Nikki jokes when I finally get to the Jeep. She doesn't like hospitals either, so she opted to stay in the car during my visit. "Ready to get back home? I think you'll have enough time to shower before Bobby and Matty get there."

"Good," I comment, "I need to shave this leg." Nikki and I both laugh.

"I bet. So how does it feel?"

I wiggle my toes and rock my ankle back and forth, testing my leg out. I shake it around after discovering it doesn't hurt, and then tell Nicole the news, "It's perfect! It doesn't hurt at all. I mean, it does feel weaker than my other one, but there's no pain."

I can't wait to show Matt. I finally don't have to feel so helpless. I can shower on my own, and cook, and help clean up the apartment. Maybe Matt will stop being so grouchy all the fucking time, and be happy! I'm going to have to seduce him. Sex is always a guarantee that he'll be happy for the night. Then I'll tell him we're keeping the baby. It was meant to be, and that's what I truly believe. If he doesn't think so, then...maybe we're not as in love as I thought.

It turns out Matt is not in any sort of mood to talk tonight. He comes in stomping his feet, ignoring both Nikki and I who are making dinner in the kitchen, and doesn't say a word to anyone until after he showers. Then, when he does open his mouth, it's only to complain that he's starving and there isn't anything to eat. _Seriously?!_ I felt like slapping him, but I don't. Matt doesn't even say anything about the fact that I got my cast taken off, or that I tried to look sexy for him. I put on a skirt, and did my hair, and even _makeup!_ It's kind of a big deal for me to spend so much time in the bathroom, and he doesn't even give me a second-glance. Good to know he doesn't appreciate the efforts I took to apply all of this makeup and hair product, because I will **not** be doing it again! After dinner, I retire to our 'bedroom' and climb into the fold-out couch that is our bed. I didn't think I was tired, but after a while, I fall asleep.

When I wake up in the morning, I think, _today, I __will__ find a way to talk to Matt. I have to._

My opportunity comes after Matt and Bobby come home from work. It's pay-day, so both guys are in considerably better moods than yesterday. I ask Matt if he wants to go out for dinner, just the two of us. He says that sounds like a good idea. He even smiles and kisses me on the lips, and _apologizes_ for being an asshole yesterday. _Matty never apologizes. _This is a major milestone in our relationship. I feel like calling up my mom and rubbing it in her face that I finally got an apology out of Matt without begging for it. She always says he's too stubborn to admit he's wrong about something, ever, and she's usually right. This time, she was wrong. _I like the sound of that._ Mom was wrong. Haha. Anyways...

Matt chooses a steakhouse, and on the drive there I prepare in my head what I'm going to say to him. I don't want him to freak out or get mad. I hope being at a restaurant will ensure that he keeps his cool. Besides, this conversation isn't supposed to lead into a fight. I want this to make us stronger. I want this to be a good thing. I just need to make him understand.

"Matt," I start, looking at him from across the dimly lit table for two, "I've been wanting to talk to you. I feel like we haven't had a chance to talk in weeks. You've been so busy with work."

"I know," Matt nods, taking a bite out of a warm roll from the basket the waitress brought for us. "I know, Madds, it's been hard for me too. It sucks being away from you all day. I'm making dough, though. This job is good. I've got money saved up in the bank."

"That's great," I agree with a smile, "Really. I'm happy. We're going to need the money...right?"

Matt's jaw twitches and he shoots me a hard look before asking in a low voice, "You want to talk about this here?"

"I thought we could have an _adult_ conversation about it, over dinner," I reply with a cool smile, even though inside I'm nervous as all Hell. "Can we do that?"

"Really Madison?" Matt asks in an overly-sarcastic voice. "You want to have an adult conversation? I wasn't aware you were an adult. Last I checked you were just some _kid _who _barely _graduated high school."

_Wow! So now we're low-balling each other? Is that how terrible our relationship has gotten in the past two months? Maybe I am stupid for trying to convince this **ass** we're in love enough to have a baby together._

Suddenly, I don't feel much like eating or having this conversation with Matt. I just wish I were home. And not home as in Bobby and Nicole's Bob Marley-themed apartment. I mean, **really** home. Forks.

I shake my head and tell Matt quietly, "You said if I came here we'd figure it all out. _We_ haven't figured anything out, Matty. It's only been about you this whole time. I believed you when you said this would be good for us. I trusted you." I swallow thickly, keeping the tears prickling my eyes at bay. "I want to home now, Matty. I don't want to be here anymore."

I watch in horror as Matt gets up from his chair with such force, he sends it flying backwards into the vacant table behind him. He glares at me while he pulls out a twenty dollar bill from his wallet and slaps it down on the table. Then, with no regards to the dozens of witnesses watching this fiasco unfold, he yells, "You wanna go home, Madison? Then let's fucking go home!" He turns on his heels and stomps out of the restaurant, leaving me red-faced and humiliated in his wake.

I take a deep, shaky breath in through my nose, and let it out slowly through my mouth. Then I straighten my shoulders and walk out of the restaurant with my head held high. I will not look like the fool in this situation. I'm not the one who threw a child-like fit in front of a whole restaurant of people. I do apologize to the hostess on my way out though, for the scene Matt caused. She smiles at me in sympathetic way that makes me wish I could scream and stomp out of there, too. When I get to the car, Matt is blasting Pantera through the speakers. He ignores me the whole ride back to Bobby and Nicole's.

After parking the car in our assigned spot in the lot, Matt sighs loudly and dramatically. "Why do you have to ruin everything, Maddie? Why do you always have to make a perfectly good night turn into a shitfest?"

"I wasn't trying to ruin anything," I explain calmly. "I've been trying to talk to you about this for weeks. I thought we could just talk. And when I said that I wanted to go home, I didn't mean leave the restaurant and come here. I meant my actual home, Matt. In Forks! Don't you remember our deal? Do you?" I wait for him to reply, but he doesn't. He simply stares straight ahead of him at the brick wall of the apartment building. This makes me angry, so I tell him, "I'm not getting rid of this baby. I never used to believe there was reason for everything, but now I do. Okay? This baby survived a car accident that I shouldn't even have survived. How does that not mean something to you? This baby was destined to be born. And if you don't want anything to do with it, than just tell me now. Because I will do this by myself. And it won't be here in Bellevue. It will be in Forks. So figure out what you want, Matthew."

Then, I climb out of the car and slam the door, leaving him to his thoughts. I ignore the sound of Bobby and Nicole having sex very loudly upstairs, and get into my bed. They weren't expecting us home, and this is their place, so they can have sex as loudly as they want to. For once, my pregnancy exhaustion comes in handy, as I fall asleep quickly, proficiently ending the uncomfortable sound of moaning coming from above.

When I wake up in the morning, Matt's side of the bed is unoccupied. I don't think he even came to bed last night. I glance out the window to the parking lot. His car isn't there. _Where is he?_ I decide to make breakfast for everyone, so I whip up some waffles and bacon while waiting for Matt to come home. I can't help but feel like he abandoned me. Did he leave because I said I want to keep the baby? Or because I want to go back to Forks? Is he coming back? Bobby and Nicole get up, thank me for breakfast, and then ask where Matt is. I shrug and tell them I don't know. They don't say it, but the look they share is enough for me to know they're aware we must be fighting.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Bobby tells me after watching me pick at my food for forty-five minutes. "Don't worry about it, baby Madds." 'Baby Madds' is my new nickname, since 'Maddie-Wheels' no longer applies. I think it was born out of a combination of my being the youngest and Matt calling me babe more than anything else. Either way, I don't mind it. Bobby has a nick-name for everyone. Matt and Nicole both have a few. Matt's are: Mr. K and Mystery Matt, both referencing to their drug days. Nicole's are sexually-based: Nikki Sexx, Triple D, and Naughty Nikki. It's kind of funny Nikki puts up with the nicknames, because she's way more mature than Bobby. I guess when you're with someone for five years you learn to accept their…oddities. _At least Bobby doesn't run out on her during dinner and then disappear._

"I hope so," I tell both Bobby and Nikki, "But, just in case, I'm going to pack my stuff."

"What?" Nikki asks with concern, "Where are you going to go? You can't leave. Maddie, you don't have to leave. We're not kicking you out."

"He didn't say that either," I assure her, "But I told him last night that I'm ready to go back home, and…" I sigh, knowing Matt won't be happy if I tell them this, but feeling like I owe them an explanation. "I kind of told him if he doesn't figure out what he wants, then I'm just going to go back alone." Neither Bobby nor Nicole comments after this, but I didn't really expect them to. I just thought they had a right to know since they let me crash at their house while I healed from my accident.

Matt bursts through the door to the apartment in the early afternoon. I've already begun to pack my clothes and clean up the living room. When Matt sees what I'm doing he immediately grabs my hands and demands me to, "Stop! Stop packing, okay? We need to talk. Come on." He takes my hand and wordlessly leads me back out the front door. I follow, confused. I don't want to deny him the chance to say his bit though; that wouldn't be fair since he listened to what I had to say.

Outside, Matt starts mumbling to himself, "Where should we go? Where should we go…?"

"Matt?" I ask quietly.

"Shh, wait," He snaps, "I'm trying to think." He hovers by the beat-up car he bought last month for a few moments before changing his mind and dragging me through the apartment's parking lot, across the street, and into the park. He whispers, "Ok, this will be fine."

"What exactly is going on?" I ask Matt, after he pushes me towards a bench and asks me to sit down.

Matt rakes his fingers through his thick, dark brown hair, mussing it up more than it already is. His eyes meet mine for a brief moment, and then he looks away again, his eyes darting to the trees behind me, the grass on the ground, and his own shoes. He shakes his head. "Maddie, I know that you're mad. I know I've been gone a lot. And that we haven't spent much time together lately." He turns away from me for a second, mumbling, "This is really fuckin' hard." Then he turns back. "I know I promised you things that haven't happened yet, and I'm sorry. I've been avoiding our…problem, because I thought maybe it'd just go away. I know that was stupid. Obviously it's not going anywhere. And if you want to keep it…I mean, if you want to have this baby, then…I want it to be with me. I want to be here for you. I just don't know how."

"So what does that mean?" I ask cautiously, unsure if he was done making his point or not.

"I'm trying to tell you what it means, Madison," Matt says, his face completely serious for the first time in a while. "Last night, I got mad because I was scared you were you going to leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you, Madds. I…was waiting for a sign, something to show me what I should do, and well, today I got one." I nod encouragingly, anxious to know what he has to say now. "I got a job offer."

"You did?" I ask, hoping for clarification. I hadn't known he was applying for a different job in Bellevue. I thought the plan was to go back to Forks. I don't know if I like where this conversation is headed.

"Yeah, the fishing job, remember? In La Push? I applied at the beginning of the summer, but they weren't hiring. They said they'd keep me in mind if a position opened up." He looks at me, half smile pulling up one side of his mouth. "That's gotta be a sign, right? That we're supposed to move back to Forks…and keep the baby."

"Really?" I ask, forehead wrinkled in thought as I hope that I didn't hear him wrong. "You mean it?"

"Yes," Matt nods. Before I know what's happening, he's kneeling down on one knee in front of me and pulling a small black box out of his pocket. He clears his throat, and I notice his hands are shaking. "I love you, Madison. It's the only thing I've ever been one-hundred percent sure of. I know this isn't going to be easy, but it's never easy, and if I have to struggle with someone, I want it to be with you. I can't promise we'll always be happy, but I will try so hard to keep you and this baby happy. I will work harder than I've ever worked, so that we can have a nice place to live. I will do anything for you. I promise. I just need you to promise me one thing…that you'll always be mine. Will you? Will you marry me?" He opens the box to reveal a tiny diamond studded engagement ring.

I cover my mouth with my hand to smother my surprised gasp. My eyes widen and I look to Matt's to check that he's not joking. _He's not joking! _His brown eyes are locked on mine, and they reveal no glimmer of humor in them. Actually, he looks completely terrified, if I'm being honest. Well, why wouldn't he be? He just asked me to marry him, and I'm staring at him in shock! I haven't even answered him yet!

I hesitate only one more moment before nodding my head and revealing my smile. "Yeah, okay Matty, I will." I fall forward into his waiting arms and he squeezes me tightly to him. Then, he slips the ring onto my finger and kisses my knuckles. I grab his face and kiss him straight on the mouth. "I love you, Matthew Wycoff."

"I love you, Madison Wycoff," He smirks at the name, and I smile back, liking the sound of that. I can't believe this morning I thought he was leaving me. I thought he would let me go back to Forks and have this baby alone. I _never_ would've guessed he was out all night trying to find a sign that we were meant to be together. And he actually found it! He decided on his own that he wants me. And he wants the baby.

_I can't believe I'm engaged!_

I can't keep the enthusiastic smile off my face. "So, when can you start your new job? When are we moving back?"

"A week from Monday," Matt replies. That's ten days away. "So…I guess we should go back and tell Bobby and Nikki the news? And maybe look online for a place to live, huh?"

I giggle, surprising myself at the girlie noise that emerges from my throat, and agree, "Yeah, we're going to need a place to live. I am so happy for you, Matt. This job is going to be so good for you. It's what you wanted to do, too."

"It's all up-hill from here, baby," Matt says. "Things are only going to get better for us. You'll see." Matt and I walk back to the apartment hand-in-hand, our thoughts focused on our future. All _three _of our future's.

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**Please review! I'd love your feedback(: What do you think about Matt's proposal? What do you think about Maddie and the decisions she made this chapter? Anyone upset to see Maddie engaged to Matt when she's supposed to be with Embry?**

**Next chapter will be Embry's POV, and I'll have it up by Friday or sooner (depending on how quickly I write it. I got this chapter done in a day, soo...we'll see. Reviews might help haha.)**


	4. 03 Bundle of Joy?

**Hey Guys - Thanks for reading and putting this story on your alerts! I hope you like it so far(: I put up a few more pictures in the photobucket, so follow the link on my profile for some pictures of Maddie, Embry, and Matt. **

**Check out my Jacob Black/OC story too, it's called - Mine: The Unintended Imprintee of Jacob Black.**

**-BecomingScarlett**

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**03. Bundle of Joy?**

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**Forks Community Hospital**

Awards this Certificate to

**Embry Call**

For successfully completing the course on

**Emergency Medical Technician – First Responder**

On this Day

**September 2****nd****, 2008**

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I can't stop staring at the blue and gold colored certificate stating that I am now an official EMT First Responder. It actually brings a smile to my face, which has been a rare occurrence recently. I feel…accomplished. I actually did it! I mean, I started this EMT training two weeks after Madison left Forks, and I really only signed up for the course because it reminded me of the night I met her. I had been so scared my newly discovered imprint was going to die, and I was helpless to do anything to stop it. I found that I enjoyed the EMT training, and here I am, two months later, a certified First Responder.

My cell phone begins buzzing in the front-right pocket of my jeans, and I pull it out. The caller ID reads _Melanie_.

"Hey, Mel," I greet.

"Hey! Did you pass?!" She asks enthusiastically. Melanie was in the First Responder Class with me at the very beginning, but she dropped out half-way through the course because it wasn't what she was expecting. She asked for my number on her last day, and I thought, _what the heck? _And I gave it to her. She didn't call until last week, when she asked how I was doing in the EMT class. I told her it was going well, and that the test was today. Then, surprisingly, she asked me out.

"I did," I respond with a smile, even though she can't see it.

"Aw, congratulations!" She says cheerfully. "So, you know what that means. I get to buy _you_ dinner." She giggles before adding, "Do you like seafood?"

"Yeah."

"OK, want to meet me at Riverside at seven?" She names off a restaurant in La Push.

"That sounds good," I confirm, "I'll see you then."

After hanging up with Melanie, I give my mom a call to tell her the good news. She congratulates me on passing the course, and then says that she's very proud of me. I never thought hearing her say that to me would mean so much, but I nearly blow off Melanie's dinner-date to have dinner with my mom instead when she offers. She insists I go to dinner with Melanie, though, since I haven't been out with a girl in _forever_, as Mom puts it. She wants me to be happy. It's times like these when I wish I had told my mom about my shape-shifting gene, and all that entails. Then she'd know that I've already imprinted, I've already found my soul-mate, and nobody but _her_ is going to make me happy. She offers to fix me up a nice dinner tomorrow night, and she wants to hear all about my EMT course, my plans, and my date with Melanie.

Quil isn't home when I get to our shared two-bedroom apartment, but I have a pretty good feeling of where he is: Sam and Emily's house, where five-year old Claire is staying for the weekend. Quil always makes sure to spend as much time with Claire as he can, and even though she's only a child, I'm jealous of the time he gets with his imprint. If I'd imprinted on Madison when she was a baby, at least I'd have had the chance to see her. I would've been her best friend and her protector, like Quil is to Claire. I wouldn't be a perfect stranger to her, like I am.

Since Quil isn't here for me to show off my EMT Certificate, I decide to shower and get ready for my date with Melanie later. Is it weird that I feel guilty for accepting a date with another girl, when my imprint moved away with her boyfriend? _Yeah…I guess that is weird. _Madison doesn't know of the imprint though, and I do, so it's up to me to show her that we're meant to be together. But I've always been told that an imprint feels the pull too, and that is why it's hard for them to resist their mate. _Could Madison have felt something for me?_ I don't know, but I find it hard to believe that she did, because why would she have left town? _Why would she not have come back by now?_

I pull into a parking space at Riverside at exactly 7PM. When I open the door and step inside, my eyes immediately find Melanie's form, rising from the bench just inside the door and smiling at me widely. She is tall for a girl; maybe five-foot-nine, if I had to take a guess. She has dark blonde hair, twisted up in a sophisticated bun on the top of her head, and honey brown eyes. She's a very pretty girl…she's just not Madison.

"Hey!" She envelopes me in a quick, tight hug before commenting, "You look very handsome. Thanks for not being late."

"Thank you," I reply. "You look really good too." _Really good? God, I feel bad for her now. I can't even compliment her because I'm too busy comparing her to Madison. What is wrong with me?_ "Ah, well, dinner is not something I generally show up late for."

She giggles, squeezing my forearm as she does. "That's good to know. Come on, let's go grab a table."

Once we're seated, and after the waitress has brought us both a tall glass of ice water, Melanie stares at me across the table with an expectant smile. I haven't been on too many dinner dates, and I wasn't aware she'd have expectations of me, so I cover my discomfort by sipping on my water. Thankfully Melanie takes over, striking up a conversation. She asks me to tell her about the final exam today, and that breaks the ice.

I answer, and then ask her a question, "So have you decided what you do want to go to school for?"

She nods, "Yes. I always knew I wanted to be in the medical field, so after the EMT thing didn't work out, I decided I wanted to go to school for something more specific. I just started class at the beginning of the week. In two years I'll be an ultra-sound technician." She smiles brightly. "I really like it so far. I love babies, and pregnancy is such a wonderful thing to witness. Anyways, I'll stop yakking about babies, because I'm sure you're not interested in that."

I laugh and shake my head, reassuring her, "I think it's great you figured out what you want to do so fast, and that you actually like it."

"Well so did you," Mel points out, "And that's why I was so glad you agreed to come to dinner with me." She smiles again; a contagious smile. She blushes, and then changes the subject by asking, "What made you want to become an EMT?"

_At least _she_ brought up Madison this time, so I don't have to feel bad for thinking about her..._I explain to Mel about the night of Sam and Emily's wedding, minus the shape-shifting and imprinting bits. "I was driving home when I passed a car that had crashed into a tree. I stopped to see if everyone was all right. The driver's side door was open, but the driver wasn't inside. The passenger was unconscious and pinned in her seat. I called for an ambulance, and while I waited for them to show up I held this girl's hand and I hoped she wouldn't die on me. I don't know, I felt so helpless, and useless, like I should have been able to fix her myself." I roll my eyes at how stupid I sound, but continue, "After the ambulance showed up, they brought her to the hospital, and she got fixed up. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened that night. Two weeks later, I signed up for the EMT course." I shrug, hoping I didn't sound obsessive when talking about Madison.

Melanie nods her head and comments, "I knew it. I knew there had to be an inspiring story behind it. That is so sweet, and lucky girl that you stopped to help her. Where did the driver disappear to? Is she okay now?" Without giving me time to answer, she adds thoughtfully, "That's fate, Embry. You were meant to find that accident, and save that girl...so that you could figure out your future."

_How did she know that?_ I wonder, as my face must surely grow pale. Then, I realize she means it's fate because I realized I wanted to become an EMT and help people, _not_ because she's somehow figured out I imprinted on Madison. "Yeah, I guess it is kinda like fate. I think the driver was her boyfriend...the girl from the accident. He was okay, so he walked for help. She had a broken leg, a gash in her head that needed stitches, and a concussion, but it's been months now so I'm sure she's all healed up. I haven't seen her..." I trail off, having nothing else to say about it, and hoping Mel will change the subject because it's making me sad thinking about Madison.

"That's so great to hear they both survived and are okay," Melanie says, "You saved her life, in a way, and she helped you figure out what you wanted to go to school for. I think that's a fair trade."

_Oh, Melanie, it's __**so**__ much more than that. _

The waitress returns to take our dinner orders. I think she came at a pretty good time. After she leaves, I make it a point to change the subject.

"So, do you have an inspiring story behind the switch from EMT to Ultrasound Technician?" I ask Melanie.

"Not really..." She says, beginning to tell me what made her change her mind.

Only I wasn't listening anymore. Because I was _suffocating_! But at the same time...breathing again for the first time in two and a half months. **Madison.** I can sense her, _smell her_, before I see her, but I know without a doubt that she is here. Then I do see her, and I feel like I must be dreaming. I know I'm not, though. She's here, in this restaurant, being seated two tables away from mine and Melanie's. I wouldn't be surprised if my jaw hit the table in shock. She sits opposite her lanky, brown-haired boyfriend, so I can see her face. _Her fucking amazing, beautiful face. It's so good to see that face!_ She has a small brown beauty mark on her right cheek I didn't notice the night I imprinted. Her hair was hanging into her face then, but tonight, it's pulled back with a couple hair clips with only a few wavy wisps loosely framing her face. Almost like she can feel me looking at her, she lifts her eyes from her menu and they lock with mine. Uncontrollably, I smile softly in her direction. She straightens up and stares questioningly, like she's trying to figure out where she knows me from...but then she looks away.

Melanie clears her throat, and I snap my attention back to her, feeling a little guilty. She cocks one eyebrow up and asks, "Do you know her?"

"Who?" I ask innocently.

"The girl you're staring at," Melanie counters bluntly. She doesn't look mad, but I do feel silly getting caught staring at another girl on a date.

I shift in my seat uncomfortably, but decide to tell her the truth, sort of. "That's the girl from the car accident." I add quietly, "I don't think she remembers me. She was mostly unconscious...I was just surprised to see her, that's all."

Melanie twists around in her seat to get a look at Madison, and then she turns back to me with a smile. "She's adorable. Sorry if I came off a little jealous right then, that's not how I meant to be. No wonder you got a look on your face like Christmas just came early!" She giggles. "What a coincidence that she'd be here when we were just talking about her."

"Yeah," I agree with a half-hearted laugh. I glace at Madison one last time, knowing I can't get caught staring again, and try and take a mental photo of how she looks right now. She looks so...happy. I frown when I realize that she's happy with her _boyfriend_ and not with me. I return my eyes back to Melanie, and force them to remain there.

"So anyways, since you weren't listening before, I'll tell you again..."

Melanie's voice fades when my sensitive ears pick up on a more important voice.

"...Yeah, I called them, but I haven't told them yet, Matty. I don't want to do it over the phone. I want to tell them in person..."

I catch the last bit of Melanie's sentence, something about her aunt giving birth to twins without knowing she was pregnant with more than one baby. I nod and ask her another question to keep her talking, while my ears are actually listening to Madison and her boyfriend's conversation.

He says, "Well, I'm not going. They don't like me, so if I go it won't make them any more excited to hear the news."

"I guess so..." She sounds disappointed.

"You have to tell them soon, baby," Her boyfriend insists, "If you want to do it on our one year anniversary. The twenty-eighth is gonna come quicker than you think, and we have to send out invitations..."

The waitress reappears with a tray carrying our plates, and places them in front of us. It looks delicious. I'm glad Melanie doesn't talk while she's eating. It gives me more time to listen to Madison. Although, I'm not sure I like what they're discussing, because it sounds an awful lot like...

"I don't know how I'm going to plan a wedding by myself in under a month," Madison sighs, confirming my suspicions. She's _engaged._ She's getting married.

_This can't be happening. _I can feel my blood begin to boil. This douche bag is not going to marry _my_ imprint. I will not just sit here and let her marry someone else when she's supposed to be with me!

"Is there something wrong with your food?" Melanie queries.

I realize I've been staring at it angrily instead of eating. "No," I shake my head. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." I duck into the bathroom and try and calm down. I can't lose control. I haven't lost control in years. That would be completely unacceptable. I take some deep breaths, splash cold water over my face, and pace back and forth until I'm sure I can leave the bathroom without phasing into a giant grey wolf in the middle of the restaurant.

When I exit the bathroom, I nearly walk into the one woman I want but can't have right now. I put my hand out and catch her at the shoulder to keep her from walking into my body, which would probably be like walking into a brick wall for her. She stops short and looks up at me. Her eyes widen and she takes a step back. I drop my arm from her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," She says quietly. She cocks her head to the side, surveying my face for a moment, before asking, "Do I know you? You look...familiar." She shakes her head quickly, "Never mind. I have to..." She points towards the women's restroom, and I step to the side so she can get by.

Even after she's gone into the bathroom, I don't continue to the table where Melanie is waiting. I hadn't noticed before, because we were in a room full of people, but now...now that I was alone in the hallway with her I realize. Madison is pregnant. I could hear the fainter, quicker heart beating in her belly. I feel sick. My imprint is having another man's baby. She's marrying another man. This could not be any more fucked up.

When I do return to the table where Melanie is waiting, I know that I'm not going to be able to sit here for the rest of the meal and pretend to be having a good time. I can't hide my emotions that well, and Melanie seems like the kind of person who can read people's emotions. She would know I'm upset about something, and I can't deal with that right now. I tell her I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well, and we should have a rain check. I don't give her time to talk me out of leaving before I'm bursting out the door and practically running to my car. I start it up, and head to Sam and Emily's house.

Quil's car is still parked in the drive. I knew he'd be here. I didn't want to go back to our apartment alone, because I need to talk right now. I need to tell someone about Madison being back in town, and that she's pregnant and engaged. I need someone to tell _me_ that it's okay to want to rip out her fiancé's throat with my teeth. _But then they'll have to hold me back because I probably will try and go do it…_

"Hey Em, what are you doing here?" Quil greets as he steps outside and starts towards his car.

"I saw Madison," I say urgently.

Quil raises his eyebrows and queries, "You did? Where?"

"Yeah, at Riverside," I reply. I can feel myself clenching and unclenching my fists as I tell him, "She was with her boyfriend…well, fucking fiancé now. They're getting married at the end of the month, Quil, and she's pregnant."

Quil stares open-mouthed for a moment, blinking a few times, like he's trying to find words to respond. "I don't know what to say, man." He shakes his head, "You must be going crazy right now." After a moment, he adds, "But at least you know she's alive, right? At least you know you can still see her again."

"I can see her do what, Quil? Get married to some jackass and have a kid with him? I can stand on the side-lines and try and be her friend through it all? I don't want that!" I growl in frustration, needing Quil to understand that it isn't that simple. "It's different for you. You're waiting for Claire to grow up; you're not watching her be with somebody else."

"I know, Embry," Quil says gently, trying his hardest to keep me calm because he doesn't want us to end up fighting. "But she's your imprint. You'll do whatever you have to for her. You'll see. Give it time. She doesn't know you yet. You have to make an appearance in her life. You have to make her see that you will always be here for her."

I know he's right, and even though I'm feeling impatient and hot-headed, I nod my head and don't argue. I can't expect Madison to leave her fiancé for me in a day. She doesn't know me, and she never will if I don't find a way to spend time with her.

"Are you going in?" Quil asks me. "Because Claire just fell asleep, and I think Emily is going to bed soon. Did you hear?" I shrug a shoulder, not sure what he means. "She just found out she's pregnant. A little over a month."

"Really?" I ask, shocked. "No, I didn't know."

Quil nods, "Yup. They're really happy, so maybe you don't want to in tonight? It might be better to see them when you're ready to tell them congratulations, and not when you're resenting every pregnant girl for reminding you of Madison."

"I don't resent pregnant girls," I deny, although I guess he's sort of right. I probably wouldn't be able to congratulate Emily and Sam the way they deserve right now. "But whatever. I guess I'm going home."

"I'll see you there," Quil says reassuringly.

I drive home thinking of Quil's advice. I have to give Madison time to get to know me. I have to find a way to be involved in her life. Then, she'll see that she should be with _me_, and not _Matty. _She'll have to feel the pull of the imprint if I'm always around. That's how it works, _**right?**_ I just have to hope that things work out. It always has before. It worked out for Sam and Emily, and for Jared and Kim, and for Paul and Rachel. It worked out for Leah and Zack, and for Seth and Jenna. It has to work out for me and Madison too…

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**Please Review! What do you think is going to happen next? What do you want to happen next? I want to hear from you(:**


	5. 04 Low Expectations

**Thanks so much for reading! This update took me longer than expected, but it's finally done(: Special thanks to those who reviewed: Nostalgic Child, DeeReadinQueen, and I Am Switzerland101! New pictures are up of Madison's family and the new puppy, so check out the photobucket (link on my profile). **

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**04. Low Expectations**

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"Come on Brewski, let's go for a walk!" I call from the front door, shaking the small bag of treats to get the puppy's attention.

Brewser was a combination going away/engagement present from Bobby and Nicole. He's a three month old blue-gray pit bull, with a white stripe down his face and chest, and white paws. At first, I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of adding a puppy to our family when Matt and I are trying to get married at the end of this month and expecting a baby in February. A puppy requires lots of attention, training, and money, and I wasn't sure Matt and I could afford to keep Brewser. Bobby and Nicole assured us they were thinking ahead when they bought us the pit; he's already been fixed and had his shots. The only thing Matty and I had to pay for was his registration once we moved back to Forks, and his dog food, of course. He's been with us two and half weeks now, and while it has been hard training a puppy, Matt and I are really happy with our new addition. Matt has been responsible, and I'm starting to see how he'll be as a new daddy when the baby is born. I think of Brewski as our practice-baby, and Matt is doing a pretty good job.

Since Matt does have to work during the day, I've been house-training Brewski. I've also been taking him for a walk in the morning, and Matty takes him at night, after dinner. I read in What To Expect When You're Expecting that walking is really good during pregnancy since it helps tone muscles and keep the blood flowing. Besides simply being good for both Brewser and I, I've found our walks to be a great place to think and plan. There are only three short weeks until my and Matt's wedding, and _so so so_ much to do! Matt is absolutely no help at all when it comes to the wedding. Some women may be ecstatic to hear they have full reigns of the wedding planning, but since I'm not experienced in planning weddings and there is so little time, I'm not one of those women. I'd prefer if Matt had some ideas to throw in here and there. According to him, since he's paying for everything he doesn't want to have to _think_ about the wedding, just _enjoy_ it.

Brewser and I are strolling into town to pick up the wedding invitations I ordered last week. We aren't expecting too many guests, so I only ordered ten invitations. I used to have a lot of friends, but unfortunately none of them were true. I had to drop most of them after coming home from rehab because we had nothing in common anymore, and I couldn't keep hanging around people who used when I was clean. I tried to re-build a relationship with the friends I had before getting involved with the druggies, but they weren't too interested. Heather was my closest friend, and she hasn't spoken to me in months. _That is partially my fault, I guess...I've been MIA since the car accident in June..._

Sometimes I wonder how my life got so off track. Then, I remember the answer, the reason, the _cause_ for all the crazy crap I've put myself through: **I don't know who my father is**. That's it, right there. It's what drove a rift between me and my family. It's what made me stupidly think drugs were the answer to my problems. It's the one thing I think about every day, without fail. And one simple answer would change everything, but my mom won't give it to me. All I want to know is who I am. How is it fair for her to keep it from me? He's _**my**_ father! I have a genetic right to know. _And someday...someday soon, I _will _find out who he is._

After picking up the invitations, Brewser and I walk back to my and Matt's house. Well, it's not _our_ house, at least, not alone. We have the one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit in the basement, for now. The house has three other apartments rented out upstairs. Matty promises by Christmas we'll be able to get a bigger place, with a bedroom for the baby. I can't wait, because this place is just too small, and our in-house neighbors are not friendly at all. At least they work during the day, so the place is nice and quiet. Once inside, Brewser and I lie down for our usual mid-morning nap.

This afternoon, I'm going to take Brewser over to my parents' house to let my brothers meet him. I've been back almost two weeks and I still haven't seen my mom. I stopped over last weekend, but Mom wasn't home, just Eddie and the boys. I'm nervous to talk to her about everything, but I can't put it off any longer. Matt and I **are **getting married. Matt and I **are** having a baby. And I have to just accept right now that my parents aren't going to approve or be happy for me.

_This sucks!_

Since Matty and I are sharing a car right now, and he has work at the Seafood Company until five, I have no choice but to walk to my old house. _Maybe I should have thought about that before taking an hour long walk with Brewski this morning…_The house is about a twenty minute walk from my and Matt's place. It's a sunny and clear afternoon though, so I don't have too much to complain about. _Except, maybe that the more time I spend thinking about telling my mom I'm marrying Matt and having his baby, the more I realize I __**don't **__want to tell her this…_

"Maddie!" I see Logan waving frantically from the porch when I start down the driveway. He turns and yells over his shoulder, "Vinnie, come look! Madison has a puppy!" Vincent comes to stand beside Logan on the porch, looking much taller than I remember him being at the beginning of the summer. I guess that's what happens to thirteen year old boys; one day they're short, the next they're taller than you.

"Hey guys!" I wave back with a big smile. I really do miss my brothers. I guess I miss Mom and Edwin too, but I'm still mad at them, so I don't miss them the same way I miss Vinnie and Logan.

"Is that your dog?" Vinnie asks in a disbelieving way.

I nod, "Mhmm, yup. This is Brewser." That's all it takes for both my brothers to hop off the porch and run over to Brewser, who is happily wagging his tail and waiting for attention from them.

"He's so cool!" Logan laughs as Brewser slaps a wet kiss on his face.

"Yeah, he is pretty cool," I agree. I hold out Brewser's leash to Vinnie and ask, "Wanna play with him while I go in and say hi to Mom?"

Vinnie takes the leash, looping it through his wrist as he says, "Sure. Come on, Logan. Let's take him in the back yard."

I watch the two run off with Brewser, and then I slowly climb the stairs to the front porch, and ring the bell. There was a time when I'd think it preposterous to ring the doorbell at my own home, but…this isn't my home anymore. Mom appears a moment later, and opens the door, smiling at me and holding her arms out for a hug. I consent, and then follow her to the kitchen where she and Eddie are cooking dinner together.

"Hey Madison," Edwin greets, "Long time no see."

"Well, I saw you last weekend," I remind him as I take a seat on the stool behind the marble island counter of the breakfast bar in the center of the kitchen.

"Yeah, but once you realized your mother wasn't home, you took off," Eddie points out. "How's the new place?"

I shrug, "It's all right. Nothing special. It's just temporary while we save up for something better."

"That's good to hear," Edwin comments as he chops up carrots and tosses them into a big pot.

"When did you get the little guy?" Mom asks as she watches Vinnie and Logan chase Brewser around the backyard from the window above the kitchen sink.

"Um…almost three weeks ago," I say thoughtfully. "Bobby and Nicole gifted him to us before we left Bellevue. He was from a litter that their friend's mom bred, and she gave them a really good price. Blue pits can be pretty expensive."

"Oh, he's a pit bull?" Mom queries, brown eyes wide as she looks over her shoulder at me, "Are you sure he's safe around the kids?"

"Mom, he's just a puppy," I explain, "He's not dangerous. And besides, don't believe everything you hear about pit bulls. They are _not_ bad dogs. Bad dogs come from bad owners. End of story."

Mom looks like she wants to argue, but she lets out a soft sigh before changing the subject. "How does Matt like the new job?" She raises her eyebrows, as if waiting for negative feedback. She doesn't think Matt is responsible enough to keep a job at the Seafood Company. She doesn't think Matt is responsible enough to do _anything!_

"He really likes it," I say, deciding to keep my answers short and simple. "Much better than his old job in Bellevue."

"That's good," Edwin nods. He's always the more optimistic of the two of them; the one more willing to keep the conversation light and conflict-free. "Is he getting health insurance there?"

"Yeah, actually, they have a really good health-care plan," I reply. "He can even put me on-" I stop short. _Wow. _I almost slipped up right there, and said _when we are married. _That is not how I planned to tell them, so I hope they don't notice the slip-up. I blanch and cover up, "I mean, I think he said something about that…"

"Probably not, kiddo," Eddie informs me, "They usually only let you add your kids or your spouse."

"Oh," I breathe out a silent sigh of relief.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Eddie asks, scooching to the side so Mom can put the chicken in the oven. "It'll be ready in about an hour."

"Uh..." I consider it, but decide, "No, I don't think so. I have to make dinner for Matt when I get home." Mom raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. "But thanks for the offer. I actually wanted to talk to you. Both of you." Mom and Edwin both stop what they're doing and look at me expectantly. I feel a knot of fear tighten in my belly. I put my hands in my lap and press them together to keep myself from tapping on the counter, which my mom hates. "I...wanted to give you something."

I unzip my purse and pull out the white envelope addressed to my parents. I wasn't going to just hand it to them like this. I wanted to explain first, but...I can't. So, I place the envelope on the counter and slide it across to my mom.

"What's this?" She asks. She waits for my answer, making no attempt to reach for the invitation.

I squeeze my hands together even tighter, wincing slightly as my engagement ring digs into my skin painfully. I take a deep breath and then place my hands on top of the table. My mom's eyes drop to my hands and I quickly share the news, "Matt asked me to marry him?" It kind of comes out as a question, even though I didn't mean it to. I take another deep breath and then add, "And I said yes."

"Madison," Mom says in a low, serious tone, "Please, tell me you aren't serious."

_I was expecting that._ "Gee, thanks for the congrats, Mom." I roll my eyes. "I am serious. See the ring? And that's your invitation," I point out the untouched white envelope on the table.

Edwin picks it up and opens it while Mom stares across the breakfast bar at me in complete and utter disbelief.

"September twenty-eighth?" Edwin reads, looking up at me for confirmation, "_This_ September twenty-eighth?"

"Yeah," I nod. _Goody, now I get to tell them why._

Before I can work up the nerve to tell my parents the second half of my big news, Mom accuses me of the very thing. She gasps, "Oh my God - You're pregnant!"

I can't even begin to form words to reply since my mouth has gone completely dry, so I simply nod my head. The look of disappointment that crosses both Mom and Edwin's faces cause me to look down in shame. I knew they weren't going to be happy, but I didn't think they'd be so disappointed. I can feel my eyes well up with tears. Why can't they just support me? I mean, they're my parents. Edwin was simply Dad the first fifteen years of my life. I've never met my real father, so he's the only dad I have, and I hoped he'd stick up for me.

"Maddie," Eddie asks quietly, "When did you find out? Why didn't you tell us about it?"

"I don't know," I mumble. "I found out right after the car accident. Matt and I weren't sure what we wanted to do." Matt didn't want me to tell them that, but I want to be honest about it. "I chose to keep the baby, and I told Matt it didn't matter what he wanted. I thought he was going to leave me, but he surprised me. He asked me marry him because he wants us to be a family. He wants to raise the baby with me."

"Is that what _you_ want?" Eddie questions gently, abandoning his post at the stove to stand by my side. He places a hand on my shoulder comfortingly and coaxes me to look up and meet his eyes.

"Yeah." I clear my throat and continue, "Of course. I want my baby to know who their daddy is." I look at Mom as I say that part. "I have to give Matt a chance to make this work."

"Madison, you don't have marry Matt just because you're pregnant with his baby. You're eighteen years old. Matt is nineteen. You two are too young to rush into a marriage."

"Matt's twenty now," I point out, "His birthday was in July."

"Whatever," Mom says impatiently. "How did this even happen? I thought you were on the pill?"

"Michelle," Eddie cuts in, gesturing towards the doorway. Mom and I both give our attention to the door, where Vinnie is standing. Neither of us heard or saw him come in through the back door. Mom is too stunned to speak, so Edwin asks Vinnie, "Is there something you need, son?"

"I think Brewser wants some water," Vinnie directs his comment to me. Then he bites his lip and asks, "You're having a baby?"

Eddie gets a metal bowl from the cabinet where the tupperware is and turns on the sink to fill it up. He meets my eyes and shrugs a little, like its okay for me to tell Vinnie. _Like I was going to ask his permission, anyways. _I nod and explain to my brother, "Yeah, I am. Actually, you wanna hear something funny?" He nods, and I answer, "The baby is due one day after my birthday."

Vinnie smiles, "That is funny. Aren't you scared though? That it's gonna hurt?"

"Yeah, I guess," I admit, "But it has to come out somehow." I laugh at the grossed out look that crossed Vinnie's lightly freckled face.

"Here, Vin," Eddie holds out the bowl of water to Vinnie, "Bring this out to your sister's pup. Be careful."

"I will," Vinnie replies with a sigh. He retreats to the backyard where Logan and Brewser are running in circles.

Once he's gone, Mom, Eddie and I kind of just stare at each other in silence for a few minutes. Eddie resumes tending to the food on the stove. Mom rubs her temples as if she has a headache coming on. I can tell she's mad at the way Vinnie found out about me and the baby and marrying Matt. I'm sure she wants to resume where she left off before she was interrupted, but I don't want to go there. Yeah, I'm eighteen and I'm young. Yeah, I just graduated and don't have my future figured out. Yeah, Matt and I haven't been together long and we can't guarantee we'll be together forever. But so what? Whoever said I was perfect?

I blow a raspberry to break the awkward silence and then announce, "I think I'm going to head home in a few..."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asks.

"Yeah, I only wanted to tell you in person...the news," I say. "I've been putting it off, but I didn't want to wait any longer. I should have told you sooner, so sorry."

"It would've been nice if you'd told us right when you found out," Mom comments dryly, "But thank you for telling us in person. Matt didn't want to be here to tell us about your wedding that's in three weeks? And on a Wednesday? What made you pick the middle of the week?"

"It's our one year anniversary."

Eddie gives Mom a pointed look. "It's all right, Madison," Eddie replies. "Your mom and I worry about you, but we're glad you're back in town. We're here for you, whatever you need."

"Actually," I remember the last thing I wanted to ask Mom before I go, "Mom, I wanted to ask you. Uh, I have an ultrasound next Wednesday. I should be able to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Matt can't come because it's at nine in the morning and he has work, so I wanted to see if maybe you wanted to come with me?"

"I don't know," Mom frowns in thought. "I have school...I'd have to get a sub. I might not be able to. I'll see what I can do." Mom is an English teacher at Forks Middle School, and Edwin teaches Chemistry and Biology at Forks High. School only started a week and a half ago, so I kind of see why she doesn't want to take time off already. Still, I want her there with me. It's embarrassing to be eighteen and pregnant and to show up at an ultrasound appointment alone.

"It won't take long," I insist, "But it's okay if you can't come. Just let me know either way."

"I will, Maddie."

"Okay, well I'm going to get going now." I hug Mom and Edwin goodbye and exit through the back door to say goodbye to the boys.

Logan groans, "Aw, no, Maddie! Don't leave yet! Can't you leave Brewser here?"

"No, sorry Logan," I reply. "Brewski has to come with me. But I'll bring him back to visit real soon, okay?"

"All right," Logan consents, leading the little pit bull puppy to me. Logan hugs me around the middle and says, "Bye Maddie! I love you."

"Love you too," I reply, squeezing him to me before letting him go. Vinnie gives me a hug as well, and the two of them run off to retrieve a basketball from the garage.

Once Brewser and I walk to the end of Mom's road, I realize how tight my leg muscles are. I really should have grabbed a glass of water before leaving Mom and Eddie's. I am going to be exhausted when I get home. It really makes me wish Matt and I had a second car. I can't walk everywhere all the time. I don't want to have to walk in the rain or the snow. And how am I supposed to get to my ultrasound appointment next week without a car? I guess I'll have to get up early with Matt, drive him to work, and then pick him up at the end of the day so I have access to the car. _Ugh, seriously, so complicated!_

I see a black car pull up beside me and slow to a stop. It's Eddie. He unrolls the window and asks, "Hey stranger, want a lift?"

I laugh and gratefully accept his offer. "Thanks," I reply after hopping in the front seat and settling Brewser in my lap.

"Your mom thought I should give you a ride home," Eddie says.

"Sure," I say sarcastically, knowing it was his idea and not Mom's. "Thanks though, I didn't want to walk all the way home again. I already took Brewser out this morning for a walk. I didn't think it could be such a work-out."

Eddie laughs, "Yeah, that it can be. Any time, Madison. You know you can ask me for anything. If your mom can't make it to your ultrasound appointment, I could always give you a ride. I don't have class until the afternoon on Wednesdays."

"Oh, thanks," I reply, "I'll keep you in mind if I need a ride."

Edwin spends the rest of the ride asking me polite questions about my health, the apartment, and wedding plans. He asks how we plan on paying for everything, and I tell him Matt's paying. We can't afford some grand affair, obviously. We are going to take whatever we can get and get it over with. I guess you could call it a shotgun wedding. I don't mind..._much._ It won't be my dream wedding, but at least we'll be married before I grow a huge belly, and Matt and I will be an actual married couple when our baby is born. That is what is most important to me now, because I never want my baby to feel like they don't know who they are. They will know where they come from and know that we love him or her.

"It sounds like you're excited about the baby," Eddie comments as he stalls outside of the white house Matt and I rent an apartment in. "That's good, Maddie. I'm glad you're happy. I hope Matt is maturing and getting ready for this. It's a big change; a big responsibility."

"He knows," I say, shrugging off the comment, "We both do. He's going to be a good dad. You and Mom will see." I smile, tight-lipped. "Thanks again for the ride, Ed. See ya soon."

"Bye Madison."

I watch his car drive down the road before turning my attention towards the house. In the corner of my eye, I see a tall dark-haired man walking by. At first, I think nothing of it. He's just an ordinary guy. Brewser pauses to pee on the patch of grass in front of the sidewalk. I look again and I realize he's the man from the restaurant last Friday. He sees me looking and smiles. I thought he'd looked familiar then, and I do now, too. I linger at the mailbox, checking the empty box which I already know is empty because I checked it earlier. _Who is that?_ Why can't I remember? It's so odd...I remember...it was dark. My vision was blurry, but I know it was him. He was holding my hand, I think. But why would I hold hands with a strange guy? Maybe it was at a party, back when I partied over a year ago, and we met when I was drunk or high or something? _Oh God! Could we have hooked up and I forgot about it? Was I that fucked up back then?!_ I may have been. I think now is a good time to get away from said strangely familiar guy.

"Come on Brewski," I call, tugging my tired puppy to the side of the house, where Matt and I enter because it leads right to the stairs down to the basement, and our apartment. "Let's go make Daddy dinner."

* * *

**Please Review! Next update will be Embry's POV, and should be up in a few days. I have the day off from work tomorrow, so maybe I'll get it done early;) Reviews help me type faster(; **

**Check out my Jacob Black/OC story if you haven't already. It's called - Mine: The Unintended Imprintee of Jacob Black.**


	6. Author Note

**Author's Note: **

Hi Readers of I Can Show You I'll Be The One, so sorry that I haven't updated for a few months:( I have such a great idea for this story, but I can't find the inspiration to write it at the moment because I'm really sucked into The Vampire Diaries (reading it, watching it, writing it, ugh, I can't get enough). I started writing the next chapter, and then I lost my muse again. I still know what I want for this story, and I will eventually get back to it. That's a promise!:) So forgive me for not continuing with the story right now, but there will be more Embry/Maddie in the future. I hope after I finish Mine: The Unintended Imprintee of Jacob Black, and It's A Boy Girl Thing, and the other TVD story I just started...then I'll get back to this one:)

Thanks,

& I hope I still have readers after this! Love you guys!

-BecomingScarlett


	7. 05 Fate Can't Be Forced

**Author's Note: **I finally found inspiration to continue this story, and so I've been writing the past couple of weeks and have six chapters finished for this story, I'm really happy about that. I think with all those other complete chapters, I can post this one now:) I hope my readers haven't given up on me & this story! I promise now that I'm back in inspiration-mode with this story, it will be updated regularly until it is completed.

Thanks guys! & Enjoy:)

-BecomingScarlett

* * *

**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**05. Fate Can't Be Forced**

I have turned into a complete stalker. I have actually resorted to stalking just to get a glimpse of my imprint. How crazy is that? Never mind. I know how crazy it is. But I can't do a thing about it. I need to be near Madison. Something inside me calls for her and I have to answer. I only wish I could have more. Seeing her lets me know she's okay, she's alive, but I want to know _her_. I want to be a part of her life. I can't figure out how to wiggle my way in with Matt still in the picture, but I can't figure out how to get rid of him either. Quil keeps advising me to be patient and allow fate to take its course, that 'fate can't be forced', like he's turned into Gandhi or Buddha or Dr. Phil. I get that he has to be patient to wait for Claire to grow up, but Madison and I are a completely different situation.

"Where are you going?" Quil asks when he sees me heading for the door of our apartment. He is lounging on the couch, watching cartoons, and slurping cereal from a large mixing bowl. _I'd like to see Gandhi or Buddha doing that._

"Uh, just out for a walk," I say, trying to sound nonchalant about it. In order to change the subject, I accuse, "Did you eat the last of the Cocoa Puffs again?"

Quil raises an eyebrow as he persists, "You're not walking to Madison's house _again, _are you?"

I shrug.

"Come on, Em, you need to stop standing outside her house like a stalker." Quil voices what I had just been telling myself moments before. "You can't force fate. You'll find a way to see her when you're least expecting it."

"There you go with that Dr. Phil shit again. I haven't seen her in a week, Quil, and I don't know what else to do!" I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "I've tried just waiting around, but I'm going insane. She's getting married in a few weeks..." _It's completely hopeless. _

"Yeah, and she's what, eighteen?" Quil says skeptically, "How many eighteen year olds actually stay married? Not many. Even if she goes through with it, they'll probably get divorced in a year."

Does he even know how stupid that sounded? How so not helpful or optimistic that sounded? "I'm supposed to just let her marry this asshole and wait for them to get divorced?" I question flatly.

Quil shrugs half-heartedly and then rubs his forehead. "I don't know, man. I'm not good at this kind of shit. Talk to Jake. He knows what it's like to love someone who loves someone else..." Quil trails off again, wincing at his words. "That came out wrong, I think."

"Whatever." I sigh. I continue on my original path towards the door and leave without another word.

Before I'm even half-way to Madison's house, I receive a call on my cell phone from my partner, Nick, and then next thing I know he's picking me up in the ambulance. He's been a full-time paid paramedic for six years, and he's only twenty-seven. That's pretty impressive. He's been a great help to me since starting out on my first day on the job. Being a First Responder, my job is less hands-on than Nick's, but he's been pushing me to sign-up for the next EMT training course and continue towards the second certification to become an EMT Basic. I don't know if I can right now, though. Before, Madison was gone, so I needed to keep my mind off thinking about her all the time. Now that she's back, there's no way to keep me from thinking about her, and I don't think I could focus on class and training.

We responded to a biker who lost control and broke their leg when they fell off their motorcycle. We brought him to the hospital for x-rays, to confirm the break and make sure he didn't need surgery, before he most likely had his bone re-set and a cast plastered on. Nick decided to take his lunch break while we're here; I think he is seeing one of the nurses because he always insists on having lunch in the hospital cafeteria, and the food is really not that great. I tell him I'll wait outside. I didn't want to watch him flirt with some nurse when I already can't stop wondering about Madison and what she's doing at this moment.

When I walk outside, the most unexpected thing happens; I hear Madison's voice! I cannot believe Quil was right. I wasn't trying to see her, and here she is, sitting outside of the hospital on a bench, talking on her cell phone.

"I know you're working, but I wanted to tell you the news..." Madison is saying to whoever is on the other line, a smile on her lips that quickly fades at hearing the person's response to her statement. "Sorry, I didn't even think you'd pick up. I was going to leave you a message." I have a feeling its Matt she's talking to. She says disheartened, "Well, we're having a boy...yeah...bye."

As she hangs up, she lets out a long sigh and gazes down at a small, square piece of paper in her lap. She holds it up to her face, and I realize it's an ultrasound photo. She came to her appointment by herself? That's just wrong. She should have somebody with her. Just then, a car pulls up. It's the same car that dropped her off at her place last week. She hops inside and announces to the man behind the wheel, "It's a boy!" She pastes a smile on her face, even though it's not as genuine as it should be. She's trying to stay happy, but she's disappointed that her stupid fiancé didn't give her a better reaction. They're having a son! He should have been happy. If it were me, I'd be happy...

"That's great, Madison," The dark-haired man replies, "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Madison replies as she pulls the door shut, and then she's gone.

I wish I'd been able to approach her, to talk to her, but at least I got to see her. She was beautiful, like she always is. But she wasn't happy, and she should have been happy on the day she found out she was having a son. It should have been a happy moment, but Matt ruined it for her. He's not right for her. She should be mine.

I take a deep breath, and walk away from the situation. There's nothing else I can do about it now. I have to find Nick and get back to work. I'll see Madison again. I'll find a way to talk to her. I know I will.

* * *

Three days after I saw Madison at the hospital, on Saturday, I was getting ready to meet the pack at Sam and Emily's for dinner. Quil went ahead earlier to spend as much time with Claire as possible. I was hoping to walk by Madison's before going to Sam and Emily's place, but I got a call from Emily asking me to _please_ run to the grocery store and pick her up some more garlic, tomato sauce and a loaf of Italian bread and hurry over so she can finish dinner. It's not what I wanted to do, but I can't refuse Emily; she does too much for the pack that it goes without saying any of us would return the favor.

After picking up all but one item on my list for Emily, I realize I've once again managed to run into Madison entirely by accident. While searching closely for the exact brand of sauce Emily wants for her pasta, I hear a groan in the next aisle, followed by Madison stating in angst, "You've got to be kidding me! This is the night from Hell..." When she doesn't get a response, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I push my cart down to the end of the aisle and turn towards the direction in which I heard Madison's voice. She's standing at the opposite end from me and staring up at something on the top shelf with an annoyed frown on her face. _It's adorable, really. _

To my surprise, I don't have to wait long for Madison to notice me. As soon as I take a few steps down the aisle, she calls out to me, "Oh, hey! You're tall - Can you help me?" She points to the item she was glaring at moments ago, it is just out of her reach, and she fumes, "These assholes obviously think everyone in Forks County is six feet tall." She shakes her head and picks up a piece of paper from the front of her carriage, "Everything on this list is on the fucking top shelf."

"Sure," I reply as I approach her, "No problem. What do you need?"

Madison blinks a few times as I get closer, her expression confused before she covers it up with a fake smile. _She recognizes me. _"Thanks," She replies, pointing again to the green box of energy drinks, "Those ones."

Oh no, Quil was right. _**I **_was right, even. She thinks I'm a total stalker. I must have run into her one too many times for her to believe it coincidental. To avoid making Madison feel any more uncomfortable, I set the requested item in her cart and return to my own. She mumbles 'thanks' again when I've turned away. I've only taken a few steps, though, when she calls me back.

"Hey..." She pauses, either because she doesn't know my name or because she's not sure what to say, "I'm sorry, and this is totally embarrassing, but can you...help me get _one _more thing?" She smiles sheepishly before raising her eyebrows in a hopeful manner.

I nod in response, hopefully not too eagerly. I gesture for her to go before me as I say, "Lead the way." I bite my tongue to keep the millions of things I want to say to her at bay. She might recognize me, but she doesn't know who I am, and she clearly isn't obsessed with me like I am with her. Of course, it's not her fault; she's not a wolf so she doesn't know what the imprint feels like on this end. I don't know how to act or what to say. I want to know everything, but I know I only have a few minutes, and after that I don't know when I'll see her again, and it sucks.

Madison looks over her shoulder at me and promises, "It's just one more aisle down. Again, sorry about this. I owe you one."

_Now that she mentions it..._I glance down at my own grocery list at the remaining item Emily needs to finish dinner, and decide to take up Madison on her offer. "Well, actually, my friend sent me here for a few things, and she wants this sauce..." Madison pauses so she can take a look at the brand name. "I can't find it. I would get something else, but Emily is really picky, so..." I shrug.

"Your friend has great taste," Madison comments, "That's my favorite sauce to use when making pasta too. Anyways, yeah, I can show you where it is."

After helping out Madison with the last item on her list, she helps me locate mine, and we both get in line for the register together. Madison got over her initial 'OMG, this guy must be a stalker' thoughts of me, at least I hope so, and seemed to be pretty comfortable around me. Madison's cashier finishes up before mine, and Madison sends me a wave and a small smile as she walks out the door. By the time I leave, I'm thinking maybe, _just maybe_, if we have a few more encounters like that Madison and I might become friends. And from there I'll have to convince her to leave Matt because he's all wrong for her and she should be with _me_, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself just yet.

* * *

Tomorrow, September 23rd, it is Kim's 21st birthday, so Jared enlists my and Quil's help in finding her the perfect present. I asked him to take Paul, or Sam, or even Jake, but Jared insisted it had to be me and Quil, like either of us are experts in what a girl wants on her birthday. I have a feeling he was put up to it to distract me, by Quil or Sam or maybe even Emily, because we're spending most of the day in Port Angeles at the shops. If the goal of today was to drive me insane, then whoever set me up is going to be very happy, because after three hours of shopping with Jared and still no present, I'm about ready to call it quits.

"One more store," Jared negotiates, "And if I don't find anything there, then we'll leave. Deal?"

"You've said that twice already," I point out dryly.

"I know," Jared shrugs, an easy smile on his face, "But this time I mean it."

"Are we gonna eat after this?" Quil pipes up, "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Jared and I quip at the same time before cracking up.

"Hey, you said if I came, you'd feed me," Quil reminds Jared in earnest, which only makes us laugh harder.

"Yeah, yeah," Jared agrees, "I said I'd feed you, and I will, but you have to help me pick out a gift first. You haven't held up your end of the deal."

"I already told you to buy her an engagement ring and get it over with," Quil argues, "But you said '_no_'."

"Because," Jared huffs, "We're not Sam and Emily, Quil, and Kim has things she wants to do before getting married. She wants to finish school and travel the world, feed starving children and build schools or some shit; she's got _plans. _I'm not going to ruin that for her."

"So don't get her a ring then," I suggest, before Quil takes offense to Jared's sarcasm and they end up arguing the rest of the day, "Get her a bracelet or something. What about a charm bracelet? My mom has one, and she adds a new charm every so often, and she wears it all the time; it's her favorite."

"A charm bracelet…" Jared states, frowning a little as he mulls it over in his mind, "That might work, let's go check some out. I knew I brought you for a reason, Call."

_Finally…a light at the end of the tunnel. _Quil and I trail slightly behind Jared as we search for a jewelry store that is within his price range. He passes up on the first jewelry store we walk past, insisting that he doesn't even need to go inside to know he can't afford it, and points out a second one further down the wide spacious hallway of the Port Angeles Mall. The second store is located next to a large dress boutique, and has a sign in the window boasting about their Semi-Annual Super Sale, which is taking place today and tomorrow only. It looks like we found the right place for Jared to finally pick out something nice for Kim.

I glance into the dress boutique as we pass by, and I stop in my tracks. My heart sinks into my stomach. I see a vision in white, a truly beautiful sight, but what it represents is my worst nightmare coming true. Madison stands on a circular pedestal, displayed in front of a three-faced mirror in the center of the boutique. She is wearing an all-white satin gown that is simple but elegant at the same time, and I watch as she smoothes down the skirt and twirls slowly around until she is facing my direction but looking at a woman whose back is to me. She has her hair down, in loose waves, and there's not a single speck of makeup on her face; she's the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on. _And soon she'll be marrying somebody else. _

"Em?"

Quil pokes my shoulder, and I only notice then that he and Jared had stopped and waited for me. I can't seem to tear my eyes away from Madison's form, though. I am so stunned; I honestly don't even think I'm breathing. How can her presence affect me so much and she not even know I exist?

"We should go…"

Then, by some miracle or act of fate, Madison lifts her gaze and meets my eyes with her own. Her brown eyes widen slightly, but her first reaction is to wave, and I think she even smiles a little. I wave back, my own smile wistful as I am staring at everything I've ever wanted in the world and the one thing I can't have at the same time.

"Come on, man," Jared says in an authoritative tone, clapping a hand down on my shoulder and leading me away from the boutique window, "We gotta go."

Jared and Quil try and distract me from thoughts of Madison for the remainder of our trip, but it's useless. I am inconsolable. On the drive back to La Push, Jared suggests that I 'puppy-nap' Madison's dog, and then I can 'find' and 'return' him to Madison, and I'll be some puppy-saving hero. I tell him he's even stupider than Quil. Stealing her dog isn't going to make her fall in love with me. Quil's dumb idea is for me to somehow tell Madison that I have a girlfriend, because then she won't feel like I'm hitting on her or putting her in an awkward position. Honestly, I'm surprised, but Quil's thought makes more sense than Jared's. I never thought of it that way; if I had a girlfriend then Madison wouldn't have any reason to be wary of me and she'd assume I were approaching her from a friend's stand-point. _Or she'll think I'm a scumbag boyfriend who cheats on his girl…_My friends are idiots. I know they're trying to help, but nothing they can say will make me feel better about Madison marrying Matt. Quil and Jared can't possibly know how I feel, because Kim isn't about to marry another man, and Claire is not even _dating _yet. Why can't they see how hard this is for me? Why can't they understand that living my life without my imprint will tear me apart?

* * *

Three nights after seeing Madison in her wedding gown, I catch her out at a seafood restaurant in La Push having a small bachelorette celebration with her friends. I did not stalk her there either, I was in the bar section at Riverside with Nick and a few of his Paramedic buddies when Madison walked in, so I was there first. I lingered around after Nick and the guys took off, choosing to walk home for a chance at seeing Madison for a little while longer. From my stool at the bar, I can see the back of her head, and it might not be much, but it's enough for me. She has four other young women with her, all with matching white T-shirts; Madison's boasting 'Bride' on it, the only blonde in the bunch bearing a 'Maid of Honor' title, and the others 'Bridesmaid'.

I order dinner to-go while sitting at the bar, just to have another fifteen to twenty minutes inappropriately eavesdropping on Madison's night. In five minutes I learn that the wedding is this Wednesday - _Three days away! _- and Matt has been acting like a dick the past few weeks, and especially the past couple days. Madison suspects Matt is out at a strip club in Port Angeles with his friends tonight, and she worries he'll do something stupid with some whore since he hasn't touched her in months. As upset as she seems about that, I am ashamed to admit it makes me kind of glad to know Matt's hands haven't been all over Madison's body recently. I really do wonder why Matt is marrying Madison when he doesn't even seem to be excited about it. He's acting like a man who wants to run away, if only he's given the chance. I'd like to give him one, but it would break Madison's heart, and I can't be the cause of that.

After the girls order, Madison excuses herself to the bathroom, so of course two of her friends trail behind her. _Why do girls always go to the bathroom in groups? _I almost want to duck and hide when I realize the only way to get to the women's restroom is by walking directly past my side of the bar. There's no way Madison won't see me when she walks by, and even though it's impossible I feel like she knows I've been listening to her. I feel incredibly guilty. By some stroke of luck, the bartender chooses then to ask me if I'm sure I don't want a beer while I wait for my food, and it is enough to distract me from the exact moment Madison walks by. I decline him, for the third time tonight, because even though he seems to think I look old enough to offer alcohol, I don't even turn twenty for two more months.

I feel her presence before she actually sits down beside me. I'm surprised when I look over to confirm that I'm not simply imagining Madison there and she's looking back at me with her big brown eyes full of courage. "Okay," She says as she throws up her hands in defeat, "I give up. Seriously, I've been trying to figure it out for _weeks _now, and I just don't know. I guess I was more fucked up back then than I thought...But that doesn't really matter now, does it? The reason I came over here is because I need you to know that whoever you think I am, I'm _not _that girl anymore, and...I'm sorry, but I don't remember you."

When she finally pauses for a breath, I assure her, "Well, I didn't think you would, you were mostly unconscious..."

Madison continues on as if she didn't hear or comprehend my words, "And, another thing, I don't know if anything ever happened between us," She gestures at the air in front of her and I, "But if something _did_, I'd appreciate if you just kept it yourself because I'm getting married. Wait." She cocks her head to the side in clear confusion as she asks, "Did you say unconscious?"

I nod. At least I'm not the only one confused though. I have no idea what she's talking about either. "Uh...yeah." I clear my throat. "Your accident, in June? I, uh, I was the one who found you. I heard the accident from my friend's house, and we called for an ambulance." Madison's confusion seems to melt away as I clarify, "I waited with you until they showed up because I just couldn't leave you all alone. You were mostly unconscious, but you did wake up at one point and ask me what happened."

"I remember...you..." Madison seems both awed and relieved, "You held my hand. I don't understand, though. Where was Matt? He, my fiancé, he was driving."

"I don't know," I explain, "He wasn't there." I thought it strange at the time that he managed to walk away from the scene of the accident so quickly, but I don't mention this to Madison. "I only saw you in the car."

"I'm so sorry," Madison chews on her lip nervously, "I totally assumed something else and I was _so_ wrong. I - yeah, I don't know what to say about that. I am sorry though. And thank you, for calling for help that day. I guess I owe you another favor now, don't I?"

I smile when I realize she's referring to the time we traded favors at the grocery store last Saturday. "You're welcome. And you don't owe me anything. I'd say we're pretty even." At her questioning stare, I elaborate, "After that night, I decided to become an EMT, so now it's kind of my job."

Madison laughs out loud before covering her mouth. "I'm sorry." She giggles one more time before she can contain them. "I just can't believe I influenced someone to do something _good _with their life. My mom would drop dead from shock. That's really great, though. I bet you're an awesome EMT..." She trails off, "So...what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm such an idiot," I shake my head at my slow reaction before supplying, "I'm Embry."

"_Embry_," Madison repeats, testing out my name on her tongue. I think it sounds great. I think I'd like to hear her say my name all the time. _She finally knows my name. _"Well, I'm Madison." I guess it was about time for us to be properly introduced. She holds out her hand and I take it in mine, immediately feeling a spark between us. I wonder if Madison feels it too.

"Madds, what are you doing?" The girl with black hair and red streaks, and a half-sleeve of flowers up her arm has emerged from the bathroom. I think I heard Madison call her Nikki. "I thought you had to go?" She points over her shoulder to the ladies' room.

"Yeah," Madison nods absently, her eyes never leaving my face and her hand still hanging loosely on to mine, "Yeah." She finally drops my hand. "I'll be right there."

"Okay..." Nikki replies skeptically, and I can feel her eyes on me.

Madison speaks again, "I have to go, Embry, but I'll see you around?" She says it questioningly, whether purposely or not, and that makes me hopeful. _Does she want to see me around?_

I nod and smile, and tell her as genuinely as I can, "Congratulations, by the way. I hope your wedding is...everything you ever dreamed it would be."

Madison seems taken aback by my words, but she smiles gratefully, "Thank you." She hops down from the bar and trails after her friend.

I'm so happy I got the chance to talk to Madison, that once she's gone from my sights I nearly forget all about the food I ordered and leave straight away. Right as I stand from my bar stool to go, the bartender appears with a paper bag containing my order, and I thank him on my way out. I go home to the apartment I share with Quil, and spend the rest of my night trying to decide whether to be overjoyed that Madison finally knows who I am or immensely disappointed that her impending nuptials are taking place this Wednesday afternoon. I know the happiness will fade the longer I'm separated from Madison...but the disappointment will linger long after Wednesday is over.

* * *

**A/N: **What do you think? Let me know your thoughts on the chapter, and what you think will happen next/what you'd like to happen next. (I am finished with the next six or so chapters, but that doesn't mean I can't make additions/changes, and I do love your feedback!)

If you review, I'll send you a small sneak-preview of next chapter :)


	8. 06 I Do

**Thanks for reading and reviewing last chapter! I hope more of you will review what you think, because I'd love the feedback:)**

**I have to estimate this story will be about...30 or so chapters long, and we're just starting to get deeper into the story plot these next couple of chapters, so please stick around!(:**

**-BecomingScarlett**

**DISCLAIM: I don't own Twilight or any of it's characters/places. I only own Madison & Matt & their families/friends.**

* * *

**I Can Show You I'll Be The One**

**06. I…Do**

"Where are you? ... Matt, why won't you answer?! ... You better show up. Seriously, if you love me at all_ you will show up_!"

It is ten in the morning on the day of my wedding, and I don't know where my husband-to-be is. Why is this happening to me? I thought things would be different with Matt after he proposed, after he made promises to me and we moved back here to Forks to have our baby. I hope my mom wasn't right all along and Matt left for good this time. I don't know what I'd do without him. I need him. I can't raise a son all alone.

I can feel my stomach flip-flop nervously, and a surge of acids makes its way up my throat. I jump out of bed and rush to the bathroom, where I make it just in time to heave up the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and take a shaky breath. My entire body is shaking. _What the fuck is this? _I don't know if it is wedding day jitters, morning sickness, or nerves from Matt's disappearance, but it sucks!

Upon hearing a knock at the front door, I look outside the window from the bedroom and see my mom's car parked in the driveway. _What the Hell is she doing here?! _I told everyone to meet here at noon! She's two friggin' hours early! How am I supposed to explain Matt's absence? _Ugh, this day is so not starting off the way it should be!_

"Coming!" I reluctantly call as I climb the stairs to the side door entrance of my and Matt's part of the house.

When I open the door, my mom smiles widely, but her eyes dart behind me in search of something, as if her smile might distract me from what she's actually doing. "Morning Hon'. I brought breakfast. I thought I'd help you get ready...Where's Matt? I didn't see the car in the-"

I cut her off, "That's because he's not here. He's spending the morning getting ready with the guys." I lie because it's just easier this way. I don't want to hear my mom voice every worry I already have going through my mind right now: _What if he changed his mind about the wedding? What if he cheated on me? What if he shows up drunk? What if he overdosed last night? What if...? What if...? _I can't deal with any more! "I need to take a shower, shave, paint my nails, do my hair, and my make-up. That's not even including the list of people I have to call to confirm they're actually showing up today," _Matt being one of them, _"or this wedding isn't going to happen. So...if you want to help, then..." I sigh, dropping the attitude, "I guess I wouldn't mind. Come on in." After she follows me inside, I point at the tin-covered pan in her arms and query, "What's for breakfast?"

"Home-made blueberry muffins, your favorite when you were little, and I brought fruit and yogurt to go with it."

"Mmm!" I take the pan and place them on the kitchen table, peeling back the aluminum foil to look in as I correct, "Still my favorite muffins, Mom." I reach inside and grab one, promptly taking a bite of the sugar-coated blueberry muffin that is still warm. I let out another moan of approval, "These are so good!"

"Glad to hear that," Mom smiles, "I wasn't sure how you felt about them since pregnancy changes your taste buds. Have you been having any cravings lately?" Mom takes a muffin herself and sits down at the table. "Any morning sickness?"

I sit too. "I've been craving shrimp, and I'm glad I can actually have that, _cooked_, at least. I haven't had too much morning sickness..." I admit, "This morning is the first time I've been sick at all."

"Oh, Maddie," Mom smiles sympathetically, looking me over with concerned brown eyes, "I'm sorry, honey. How are you feeling now?"

I take another bite of the muffin in my hands before replying with a mouthful of food, "Fine."

Mom purses her lips as if she's debating whether or not to voice her next words, and of course she does, "Do you think maybe...you're having second thoughts about the wedding? Could it have been nerves upsetting your stomach and not morning sickness?"

I have no idea how she knows the exact thoughts that have been running through my mind all morning, but it really pisses me off, and instead of admitting my feelings I get defensive. "Of course it was morning sickness. I have no doubts about marrying Matt, Mom; this is what I want. I don't know how many times I have to tell you for you to believe me. Matt and I want to raise our son together, to be a _real _family. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Of course not, Madison," Mom replies, her eyes now focused on the table space between us, "I just wanted you to know that you do have a choice in this. You don't have to marry Matt right now, just because you're having a baby. I don't want you to rush into things, and this feels rushed. You and Matt aren't alone; you have your family. His family is here, so they obviously support him. You know that Eddie and I love you, and we are here for you, whatever you need. So-"

"_Mom!_" I groan, cutting her next words off. She closes her mouth and stares at me, probably waiting for me to start yelling and cussing. Instead, I shove the remainder of my muffin in my mouth and stand up from the table. "I'm gonna get in the shower," I state as I leave the room. I could have argued with my mother, but I know she won't argue back, and it'll only make me more frustrated. In the end, we'll both be miserable, so it's not worth it, not today. Besides, there's already enough going wrong without me adding fuel to the fire.

Once I've showered, Mom sets curlers in my hair and paints my nails while I call to confirm times with our hired justice of the peace, the restaurant owner, and the DJ Matt chose. While on hold with D'Angellino Restaurant in Port Angeles, where the wedding and reception are to be held, Matt starts to call. I roll my eyes at his terrible timing, and I know I might have to call D'Angellino's back, but I click over to Matt. I think he's the number one person I need to confirm this wedding is happening with. I don't want my mom to know what's going on though, so...I'm going to have to play it cool.

"Hey," I answer, "What's up? Are you getting ready? I'm on the other line with the restaurant right now..."

"That's it?" Matt asks in a mocking tone, "No nagging about where I've been or what I was doing? No accusations this morning? I gotta admit, babe, I'm surprised. After that shit show the other night, I wasn't sure if today was going to happen..."

"Matt, I'm in the middle of getting ready; there are curlers in my hair," I stress the importance of this to him since he knows I never spend hours on my hair and make-up, "And I've only got forty-five minutes to finish styling and make myself pretty. Please tell me you and your boys will be dressed and ready to go at 12:45."

"I..." Matt breathes into the phone, and I almost want to laugh at how easily I can picture his confused facial expression right now, "Yeah. I mean, we'll be ready. I just...I left my tux in the closet. Could you...?"

"I'll bring it," I assure him. "I have to go, okay? Love you. Bye."

"You too babe," Matt returns, still sounding confused even as he hangs up the phone.

Honestly, I'm kind of surprised myself at how easily I just let Matt off the hook. It would have been a completely different story had my mother not been here right now. I guess, in a way, it's a good thing my mom chose to come by early this morning, or Matt and I could have gotten into another explosive argument and called the whole wedding off. I don't even remember what we were arguing about in the first place…

_Wait – Yes, I do. _**Embry**. The guy I thought may have been a former one-night-stand from my drug-haze days is actually the man who saved my life the night I graduated. I was relieved to discover his role in my life was not as 'ex-fling' or whatever, but I was also very confused. Matt had told me _he _called an ambulance from a house that he walked to, and then _he _waited with me for help to show up, but after hearing Embry's take of that night I doubted Matt's story was true. When I brought it up to Matt, when I asked him what really happened that night, he was furious. He said if I can't trust him and believe his words, then we shouldn't be getting married. _He still lied! _And that made me even madder than if he'd just admitted the truth then; like, he was caught in a lie and he still insisted it was the truth. What kind of idiot does that? What reason does he have to lie to me?

So maybe I did give Matt a freebie, a 'Get out of Jail Free' card, but that was his one chance. I'll let the accident situation go, because I know Matt already feels guilty about being the one to cause me pain, so maybe that has to do with why he lied about my rescue. I don't know his reasons, but the next time that I catch him in a lie, I will not let him get away so easily. If he's smart he'll think twice about trying to pull a fast one on me. Today, I had to be the bigger person and put my personal grievances aside to pull off this wedding, but tomorrow we'll be legally bound and then I can really give Matt hell as his wife.

"Maddie," Mom's voice reaches my ears, and from her tone I can guess she's spoken my name multiple times now, "Weren't you on hold with D'Angellino's? You'll have to call them back quick so I can take the curlers out of your hair…Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, _Mom,_" I respond, so she knows I heard her words. As I re-dial the number for the restaurant, I share, "Hey, remember when you always used to ask me why I was the bad influence on my friends and not the good influence?" Mom frowns before nodding her head in semi-agreement. _I'll take that as a 'yes'. _"Well, _I _recently influenced someone to become an EMT, so what do you think of that? Somebody saves lives because of me." I smile smugly, even though I know it isn't really me who can take all the credit for Embry's career decision. I didn't even know who the heck he was until Sunday night.

"Well, that's nice," Mom comments, "But I don't really understand how-"

I shush her with a wave of my hand as the manager of D'Angellino Restaurant finally gets on the phone. "Hi," I respond, "This is Madison Bennett. I'm just calling to check in that everything will be all set for 2 o'clock this afternoon?" After a positive response, I smile, "Yes, thank you so much. See you then. Bye."

Finally, I can relax a little now that I know all the important places and people are ready for the wedding. Gordon, our justice of the peace, lives in Port Angeles, so he'll be arriving at the restaurant a few minutes before 2PM. The restaurant claims everything is set-up for the wedding reception in the room that we rented, and since today turned out to be a pretty perfect day weather-wise, I'm happy with my and Matt's decision to marry outside D'Angellino in their gazebo. The DJ, Jack, is arriving at 3 to hook-up his equipment, and we paid him to play music from 4PM until 8PM. We saved money by asking Matt's mom, Christie, to bake our wedding cake for us, and by using the restaurant's photographer for our photo-package. We're opting out of flower arrangements, since we left literally no money for decorations in our budget, and I'll be using a single red rose for my bouquet; _if Matt remembers to pick one up, that is…_The cost of dinner for everyone at the reception was the most expensive, and we have under twenty guests attending our wedding, so imagine my surprise at discovering it costs $24 per plate, and that's the cheapest price around. I can't imagine how much money people spend on weddings with hundreds of guests, an eight-foot-tall cake, and flower arrangements up the wazoo.

Mom finishes my hair, and I finish my make-up, with just five minutes to spare before the girls are due to arrive. Heather, who was basically my only friend when I graduated Forks High, is my Maid of Honor, and I was surprised when she accepted the role. We hadn't talked almost all summer, but once she heard I was getting married, we reconnected. It's been nice having a friend to talk to again. Matt's Best Man is Bobby, of course, and he chose two other friends from Bellevue and one new friend from the seafood company to be his Groom's Men. Since Matt chose three, I had to choose three Bridesmaids to match: Nikki, Samantha, who is Matt's seventeen-year-old sister, and Morgan, who I was friends with junior year of high school. Junior year was my bad year, the year I really became addicted to cocaine, and Morgan was one of the friends I got high with, so I was skeptical about reaching out to her. Turns out, she'd been clean for three months now, and she'd been missing me, so it was a good decision.

Christie and Samantha arrive first, Christie with the wedding cake in tow, and it is _beautiful! _When Matty said his mom could bake, I didn't realize he meant she was practically a professional. I don't even know how to thank her for doing this for us. Samantha, who is the spitting image of her older brother except with hazel eyes, is so excited for the wedding she can't stand still. _Gosh, I wish I half as excited as her. _She needs help deciding between two dresses, and then which shoes will match, and then a hairstyle, but I'm more than happy to help. The wedding colors are black and red, Matt's one and only contribution to the wedding since he refused to wear any other color besides red. Sam has a long, strapless red gown that she wore to Junior Prom last year, and then she has a short strapless dress with sequins on the bust that she bought on sale last month. After trying on both, we decide on the shorter dress, with shiny black pumps. I style her thick brown hair in a French chignon, which I learned from a magazine. Sam is definitely happy with the end result.

"Thanks, Maddie," Samantha grins, "I always knew I'd love having a big sister." She giggles before giving me a tight squeeze.

Nikki arrives second, her hair styled perfectly like always, and her make-up bold and dramatic, to match her personality. Nikki says she dyed the streaks in her black hair red especially for my and Matt's wedding. She has her dress and shoes in a bag, and doesn't plan on putting them on until we get to Port Angeles, because she swears she's too accident prone to dress nicely for long periods of time.

When an unfamiliar silver car parks in front of the house next, I assume it must be Heather or Morgan, but I'm completely wrong. An older couple emerges from the vehicle, and it isn't until they're at the door that I recognize them as my Gramma and Pop! I throw open the door and run to give them hugs. I haven't seen my mom's parents since I was sixteen, and I didn't send them an invitation to the wedding because they live in California and I assumed they wouldn't be able to make it, so I'm definitely surprised.

"Gramma!" I kiss her cheeks. Then I turn to my grandfather, "Pop! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see my only grand-daughter get married," Gramma replies, giving my cheek a pinch as she smiles at me.

"Yeah, thanks for the invitation," Pop adds sarcastically. Mom always said I got my sarcasm from her father, and I can see why. Pop cracks a smile after his words though, and he compliments, "You look beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Pop," I reply, grinning back at him. "Thank you both for coming. I'm so glad you're here." I pull them inside and briefly show them around as we wait for Heather and Morgan's arrival.

"How do you like the car?" Pop asks as he takes a seat with Gramma at the kitchen table to have one of Mom's blueberry muffins.

The question was directed towards me, so I answer, "It's nice, really nice. When did you get it?"

"Oh, a couple weeks ago," Pop describes, "It's a 2006 Honda Civic. The guy who sold it to us used to travel for work, so it's got almost a hundred thousand miles on it, but that's not bad for a Honda. They're good cars; fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly, _safe_…"

"Yeah," I agree, nodding my head and wondering when he's going to get to the point.

Pop pulls the key out of his pocket and places it on the table, stating, "It's for you, Madison. Michelle mentioned you were sharing Matt's car, and, well, with a baby on the way you'll need your own. Linda and I wanted to make sure you had something safe, so consider it our wedding gift to you."

I slowly pick the key up and squeeze it in between my fingers as I gush, "Oh my gosh, no way! Thank you so much, Gramma and Pop! Are you sure? I don't know if I can accept this…"

"Of course you can," Gramma insists, "And you will. The car is yours, Maddie. Pop and I are going to stay in Port Angeles tonight, and then we're taking a flight home tomorrow. We've got our Pontiac at home, and we're fine with that. We got the Honda for you."

"Thank you," I repeat, feeling unworthy of such a nice gift. I hug Gramma and Pop one more time to show my appreciation.

Finally, Heather and Morgan arrive together, and we can finish getting ready. Everyone except for Nikki and I are dressed for the wedding and look picture-ready. I will put my dress on once we arrive at D'Angellino's, and Nikki is going to do the same. I realize it is already five after one, and we were supposed to leave a quarter of, so I usher everyone outside after doing one more sweep of the house to see if I left anything behind. Mom takes Gramma and Pop in her car with her, Christie takes Sam in hers to make sure the cake doesn't get destroyed on the hour-long car ride, and I take Nikki, Heather and Morgan with me in my new Honda Civic.

At exactly 2 o'clock, my part of the wedding party arrives to D'Angellino Restaurant's parking lot. Matt's car and Bobby's car are both recognizable, and thankfully both are present in the lot. I let out a sigh of relief when I see the guys standing around smoking cigarettes by the restaurant entrance. Matt is wearing jeans and a white tank top, since his tux is in my car, but he looks freshly showered and shaved; he looks good. I feel the butterflies from this morning return to my stomach, and I'm concerned I might throw up again, but the feeling subsides once I get out of the car and greet Matt's father, Mike, and Matt's friends whom I've never met before. The two guys from Bellevue are Andre and Zack, and the last unfamiliar face is Matt's co-worker, Anthony. After introductions, I pass Matt his tuxedo and we go our separate ways until the wedding ceremony is due to begin.

* * *

"You look beautiful, Madison," My mom tells me as she twists and clips a strand of curls away from my face with a bobby pin so that she can place the veil over my head.

"Thank you," I whisper. _I feel like Barbie._

"I didn't think this day would come so soon…" Mom's voice breaks and she looks away to hide the fact that she's starting to cry.

"Me either," I murmur. _I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever get married, and if Matt hadn't asked it wouldn't have crossed my mind for a long time…_

"But as long as you're happy?" Mom says questioningly, "As long as this is what you want?"

I nod my head, "It is." _I think. I think I'm happy. I think I want this. But I don't know because right now my stomach is twisting in knots and I think I might throw up all over Matt when I'm asked to say 'I do'._

Mom sighs, "Okay." She pins the veil in place and steps back to give me a once-over. "Perfect." She smiles for half a second, "You're all set." Before I can step away, she puts her hands on my shoulders and tells me, "I know we've had our up's and down's the past few years, Maddie, but I want you to know that I love you, and I am proud of you for growing up and being responsible. You've always been an independent girl, and now you're turning into a strong, independent woman. You're going to be a great mom." She bites her lip before continuing, "You know that I'm not Matt's number one fan. I think he still has a lot of growing up to do, and I didn't think he was a good person to have in your life, but…I'm going to try and wipe the slate clean. I'll give Matt the benefit of the doubt, but he better be good to you. He better make you happy, and give you a good life, and be a great father."

I find myself blinking back tears, and I'm thankful for the veil right now because hopefully it's hiding them. I take one of my mom's hands and squeeze it in my own, "I love you too, Mom. Thank you, for everything. I honestly wasn't sure you'd want to come to the wedding at all, so thank you for being here. Matt does have some growing up to do, but I think he can do it, and I think he will be a good dad." I nod confidently, and I hope I sound confident, even though I don't feel so sure about it at all. Matt is the only one who can decide to change, and he's stubborn. I don't know what it will take for him to change. People always say a woman becomes a mother when she becomes pregnant, though, and a father doesn't really become a dad until his baby is placed in his arms. Matt might be one of those guys that don't realize he's an actual father until the moment he sees his kid. Until then, I have to keep my fingers crossed he'll have a wake-up call on his own. _Maybe the wedding is that wake-up call._

"I hope so, Honey." Mom squeezes my hand once more before letting it drop. "Are you ready?" I nod, and she opens the door to the bathroom and calls out to my bridal party in the hall, "Girls are you ready?" There is a chorus of 'yes's. "Eddie, go make sure the boys are set and bring them to line up." Mom turns back to me, dusts a few imaginary pieces of lint off my dress and veil, and then hands me my rose, "Don't want to forget this. I'm going out to help line the girls up. Wait for my signal and then come out, okay?"

I nod quickly and then wait by the bathroom door to be called. My hands are shaking and my heart is pounding so hard in my chest that it feels like it might burst. I put a hand on my chest and can actually feel my heart thumping away, trying to break free from its prison. I take deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth, hoping to calm my nerves, but it doesn't work. Seconds tick by and feel like hours, and I very nearly talk myself into leaving the restaurant and running away, like Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride…

"Maddie, time to go," Heather calls back to me from her spot beside Bobby, her escort down the outdoor 'aisle', "Matty is waiting for you." She smiles, her blue eyes lit up with excitement and her pretty blonde hair twisted in a French braid.

"I'm coming," I assure her, stepping out into the hall and following after her and the rest of the pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen. We walk in pairs, one after the other, out the side entrance of D'Angellino's and down the path that leads to the gazebo. Mid-way through the Wedding March, when my eyes first fall on Matt's, I literally feel like I'm entering cardiac arrest and I'm going to drop to the ground dead. My legs are locking up and I want to run away so badly, but my feet somehow keep moving forward. I wish someone were here to stop me from making this horrible, terrible, awful mistake, but…there is no one.

Gordon starts off the marriage ceremony by welcoming our minimal guests, "Welcome friends and family, and thank you for joining us on this very special occasion…" I stare at Gordon, the justice of the peace, the man binding me to Matt for forever, and I can barely tune in to the words coming out of his mouth. "…Marriage is the sharing of two lives…A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other…It is a union of two individuals…Marriage involves adapting to life's challenges and continuing to grow…" This reminds me of the baby, Matt's baby, growing in my belly, and I realize that is the real reason to go through with this marriage. My son needs a family, and Matt is giving him a family. _I have to do this. _"It is having a mutual sense of values, perspectives, and beliefs to face the world together."

Gordon pauses to let the words sink in, before he turns to me, "Madison, do you choose Matthew to be your partner in all of life's adventures, to whom you give your deepest love and devotion? Do you pledge to speak and listen, to give and receive, and to be considerate of his wishes and desires?"

"I…" _Gulp. _"…do."

"Matthew," Gordon looks to Matt, "Do you choose Madison to be your partner in all of life's adventures, to whom you give your deepest love and devotion? Do you pledge to speak and listen, to give and receive, and to be considerate of her wishes and desires?"

Matt's response comes much stronger than mine, "I do."

Gordon looks to the Maid of Honor and Best Man, "Heather, Bobby, may I have the rings please?" Heather and Bobby play their part, and then Gordon prompts Matt and me through the ring exchanging process. Once rings have been exchanged, Gordon brings the ceremony to a close, "And now, it gives me great pleasure to say, by the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may begin your married life with a kiss."

Matt leans in, I meet him half-way, and we share our first kiss as man and wife. I always thought it would feel different, more special, but it was actually more awkward than anything. Matt slips his hand through mine and leads me into the D'Angellino reception room, with our sixteen guests trailing in behind us. Matt seems happy to finally have the ceremony over with, and I thought I would be too. I thought I would be rid of the nerves and the butterflies by now, but they've stuck around, and I don't know why.

* * *

At 4PM, DJ 'Jazzy' Jack announces me as Mrs. Matthew Wycoff, and we perform our first dance, which is horrendous because Matt and I never practiced a first dance. Jack then asks the guests to join us in celebrating by playing the three most annoying dance songs on the planet: the YMCA, the Macarena, and Shout! I have to admit, I got a good laugh over my grandparents knowing how to do the Macarena better than I me, though. 5PM comes quickly, and Jack plays some more mellow music while we eat dinner, but by 6 he is 'ready to rock' and throws on some 70's rock music to liven up the room a little. Matt and his friends, now that they've filled their stomachs, start to drink like it's going out of style. _I wish I could have a drink right about now…_

I think around 7, my mom notices I was getting annoyed with Matt's behavior, and she tries to distract me by sending over Vinnie and Logan to be my dance partners. It was nice of her, and my little brothers are very sweet, but I want my _husband _to pay attention to me. He's celebrating by drinking shots with his friends, like his team just won the Super Bowl, instead of celebrating with his _new wife_, AKA me! It was stupid of me to think Matt would turn into a different man simply because we got married today. I wasn't expecting much from him, but I was expecting him to stay by my side for the night, and – _oh, I don't know _– dance a little, tell me he loves me, act like this is something he wanted to do. I guess Matt thinks 'wedding' equals 'get as drunk as possible with friends before passing out'.

Five minutes to eight, Jack announces the last song, and Matt actually shows up at my side to dance with me. Of course, he's so ridiculously drunk I'm practically holding him in an up-right position, but I'm surprised he even knows where he is right now. At the end of the song, I make my way to the door with Matt in tow, and lead him out to the parking lot. I place him in the passenger seat of his car, since I don't want him coming home in my new Honda and vomiting all over the faux-leather seats. Mom offers to drive my car home for me, and I thank her for that. I thank all the guests who showed up to the wedding as quickly as possible, and then take off in the direction of Forks.

"_I hope your wedding is…everything you ever dreamed it would be."_

I don't know what causes Embry's words from Sunday night to pop into my head, but as I look over at Matt who is passed out in the passenger seat and drooling on himself I can hear them loud and clear in my head. I feel the moisture gather in my eyes before I silently start to cry. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was more than this…This day was disappointing, at best, but I can't complain because Matt did what was asked of him; Matt showed up, and we're married, so now we have a family for our son.

_This is what I wanted. This is what I wanted. Isn't this what I wanted?_

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**Please Review! I will give you a sneak preview of what is to come next... :)**


	9. 07 Not A Single Word

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you guys were happy with the preview:) I have to warn you, this chapter is sad, but things will get better! Please stick around, lots of Embry/Maddie moments to come:)**

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One **

**07. Not A Single Word**

The month following Madison's wedding passes in the blink of an eye, for me, at least. There was a bit of a vampire problem, so I had focus most of my time on helping out the pack to keep the people of La Push and Forks safe. Jake, as usual, assumed the vampires were after Renesmee for some reason or another so he was not going to rest until the vampires were dead or gone. With the help of the remaining Cullens still in Forks County, we were able to figure out that this particular group of vampires is looking to take down the Volturi. It has been two years since the confrontation with the Volturi after Renesmee's birth and subsequent 'discovery' by the vampire community, and there has not once been talk of finishing the battle that was very nearly started here that day. There is a reason that battle was never started two years ago, and that reason is because the results would have been a catastrophic loss for both parties. Starting a war with the Volturi simply to take over is not something the Cullens are interested in, and it's not something the wolves would ever take part in unless there were no other choices.

Unfortunately, these vampires didn't want to take no for an answer, and they thought they could threaten a family of vampires that is protected by shape-shifters, so they ended up losing their undead lives. I don't particularly enjoy killing, but these vampires deserved what they got. They wanted Carlisle, Esme, Edward, and Bella's help recruiting vampires they are close with to their cause, and turning humans they thought would make powerful vampires into newborns. They threatened Renesmee's life, and that was where Jacob lost his cool and ripped off one of the vamp's heads. After that, it didn't take long for the rest of us wolves to jump in and defend our own. The vampires that weren't torn apart took off, and they haven't been seen or heard from since. Hopefully, for their sake, it stays that way.

When Nick called me two nights ago to be his back-up because Halloween is one of the days of the year where accidents are bound to happen, like most holidays, I couldn't believe it was already October 31st. How did a whole month go by without my knowledge? I think I only talked to Madison once this entire month, and saw her a handful of times more than that, mostly to ensure her safety. It was disappointing that another month went by without getting any closer to my imprint. The only good part about October passing so quickly is that it is my 20th birthday in a little over a week; Sam and Emily always throw me a dinner party. It is the one thing I'm looking forward to, besides seeing Madison again.

"Em, I'm back!" Quil shouts as the front door to our apartment slams. _As if that weren't enough of a clue his loud mouth has returned from patrol. _

"All right," I call back, at a slightly lower octave, "I'm leaving in a minute." I have to replace Quil on border patrol for the evening, since Jake is still expecting the remainder of the rogue vampires to swoop in and surprise us with a sneak attack. I doubt that is going to happen, but I have taken on the extra hours patrolling as requested to be on the safe side. I do get to pass by Madison's street twice during my patrol route, though, and that kind of makes going most of the night without sleep worth it.

"Jared offered to take a turn for you," Quil informs me as I emerge from my bedroom. "He knows you've been splitting time between us and your EMT hours. He thought maybe you'd want a night off…?"

The thought of a night off from patrol is tempting, but I turn him down. "That's okay. I slept for a couple hours, so I'll be fine." _In other words, I need to see, or at least be near, Madison for a while._

"OK," Quil replies, "If you're sure." He shrugs before plopping down on the couch and reaching for the remote. "See you later, bro."

"Later," I return as I exit the apartment.

* * *

'_All clear over here_.'

Paul's voice invades my head as he updates on the status of the beach area of La Push.

'_Good. How is the border with Forks looking?' _

Sam's authoritative tone comes next, and I stop trotting to take a good sniff around before giving him my reply.

'_So far, so good.' _

Sam voices his approval, before announcing he's heading home to have a late dinner with Emily, finally. Paul and I assure him we've got things covered. I continue on the trail following the border between La Push and Forks, content to only have to share my thoughts with Paul for a while. It is one of the reasons I like the night patrol better; less members of the pack picking my brain. Well, unless there was real danger, then Paul and I would alert the others and we'd be teeming with the thoughts of our fellow wolves.

A mile or two to the left, in the Forks direction, I can hear a dog barking. To my right, the Calawah River is rushing west towards the ocean. For a while, those are the only two things that I hear, besides the occasional bird chirping and the wind rustling through the leaves on the trees. My ears prick up when I hear another noise, this one also from the left, and when I recognize the voice I stop walking altogether and simply listen.

"Brewser!"

_It's Madison._

"_Come_, Brewser! Come here!"

She might be far away, but I'd recognize her voice anywhere. She sounds annoyed and slightly distressed. I wonder if I should break away from my trail and check-up on her…

"_Brewser_!" Madison's call is louder this time, "Brews –" Her voice cuts out and is replaced by a sharp gasp.

Without further hesitation, I take off in a run towards Madison, sending Paul the message that I had to abandon my post. He doesn't ask any questions since he can obviously hear the concern for my imprint in my thoughts, and he'd have done the same if he thought Rachel were in danger. I run as close to Madison's house as I dare in wolf form, before phasing back to myself and pulling on my pants. I hear the low whine of the puppy before I see Madison's pit bull staring at me with his tail between his legs and his head hanging low._ He knows he's in trouble. _I notice his leash is trailing behind him in the grass, and Madison is not holding the end.

"Come here, boy," I call softly, holding out my hand for him to sniff. He deems me unthreatening, I suppose, and allows me to grab hold of his leash. "Where's Madison?" I whisper, and his ears perk up, his head cocked to the side as he tries to figure out my words. I repeat, "Where's Madison?"

Just then, I hear a puff of breath and a groan, "Ow. What the hell? Oww!"

Brewser dashes off in the direction which the cries of pain are coming from, and I hold tightly to his leash as I follow. It only takes a minute for the puppy and I to locate Madison, who is leaning against the broad trunk of a tree just inside the woods bordering her backyard. She has her back resting against the tree as she clutches her growing belly with both her hands. Her eyes are closed, but there are tear-stains streaking down her cheeks, and her expression is pained.

"Madison?" I speak quietly, so as not to startle her, but her brown eyes still pop open in shock. "Are you all right?" I ask, approaching her slowly and holding up Brewser's leash in my hand for her to see. Her eyes dart down to the dog, where she frowns, and then back up at me.

Madison takes a shaky breath as she shakes her head. "No," She finally says, her voice weak, "I think something's wrong…" She bites the knuckle of her forefinger to keep back the groan of pain making its way up her throat. She recomposes herself before she explains, "I wasn't supposed to be out. I-I shouldn't have taken the dog, but he…he got away from me. I…" She winces again, "Oh God, it hurts! What's happening to me?"

When she starts to cry, I assure her I'm going to get her help, and then scoop her up into my arms and carry her back towards her house. "Your doctor put you on bed rest?" I question, trying to get a back-story of her situation from the little information she gave me.

She nods, "I guess my baby is developing slowly, or something. They said he was too small, and I was at risk for complications. I've been on bed rest for…a little over three weeks now."

"How far along are you?" I wonder, trying to figure out if she could be in early-labor, or if this might be more serious than that.

"Twenty-four weeks this week," Madison answers. "I have my six month check-up tomorrow."

Immediately, my brain is recalling information learned in the EMT course about pregnant women and the signs of early labor versus Braxton Hick's contractions. Pregnancy is really complicated though, and definitely not my strongest point, so I do know that the best thing to do is get Madison to the hospital as soon as possible. When I've carried her to the door of her house, I question, "Is your husband home? Can he take you to the hospital?"

Madison's eyes leap to mine in panic and she shakes her head, "No. He…he's not here. He just left…"

"Can I use your phone?" I ask as I gently re-set her on her feet. I explain, "I can call my friend, Nick, and he'll be here in five minutes or less. He's a full-time paramedic, and he's really nice."

After gaining her consent, I run inside to grab the cordless phone from her kitchen, and dial Nick's cell phone. I feel lucky that I've memorized it because I wouldn't want anyone besides Nick bringing Maddie to the hospital for me. He says he's on his way now, and I feel a little more at ease. I rejoin Madison on the stairs outside her front door and wish there was something I could to do make the pain go away. She is clearly suffering, but she's doing so quietly.

"Don't worry, he'll be here soon," I reassure her when I hear her sniffling. I want to take her in my arms and hold her, but she would surely be uncomfortable with my forwardness. I can do nothing but wait and hope that Nick shows up as quickly as he promised he would.

"It's my fault," Madison murmurs, "I shouldn't have – I shouldn't have gotten out of bed. I should have listened."

"It's not your fault," I correct.

"No, it _is_," Madison insists, looking me square in the face, "You don't understand. Brewser got out, and I chased him, and I_ fell_. I fell." Her chin quivers, "I think I'm bleeding." She squeezes her eyes shut as a few tears slip out of her lids.

Instinct takes over, and I reach for her hand and hold it in my own until Nick pulls in the driveway in his ambulance. I help Nick settle Madison comfortably in the back of the bus before I step aside to give him space. I'm still deciding whether or not I can get away with coming along for the ride when I feel her fingers on my wrist. She runs her fingers down my hand and tugs on my fingertips as she confesses, "I don't want you to leave. Please, Embry. I'm scared."

I don't think I can explain how relieved I am to hear those words leave her lips. She asked the same of me the last time I witnessed her being put in the back of an ambulance, but I wasn't allowed at the time to accompany her. This time I can. _She doesn't want me to leave her. She wants me to stay. She wants me to make her feel better_. I am more than willing to stay with her; I'd do anything she asked me to. I wish I could take away her pain altogether, but since I can't, the least I can do is sit by her side and comfort her like she wants. Nick closes us both in the back and speeds off in the direction of the hospital.

On the ride over, Madison's contractions grow stronger and more painful for her. She squeezes my hand tightly and bites down on her tongue so hard she makes it bleed. I try and distract her from the pain by asking her questions. I ask her about her wedding, about her family, and about her Halloween. I don't ask her questions about her pregnancy or the baby because I don't know how serious her situation is, and I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that I'm finding very hard to ignore…

Suddenly, Madison looks at me and frowns, like she's only just now taking in my appearance. She notes, "You're not even dressed. Where's your shirt? How did you find me?"

Lucky for me, I don't have to answer any of her questions, because the ambulance stops and Nick throws open the back doors a moment later. Nick must have heard Maddie's comment, because he tosses me a plain white T-shirt and I shrug it on. The two of us help Madison into a wheelchair, since she refuses to lay on the gurney, and follow the nurses' instructions to an available room in the labor and delivery unit. Nick takes off right away, but Madison asks me to wait around until the doctor comes. A nurse comes in to hook Madison up to the heart monitor, blood pressure monitor, and baby's heart monitor. She also sticks an IV in Madison's hand and starts a saline drip. Madison might not notice, because she doesn't understand how to read the machines, but I can see that the nurse is having a hard time picking up the baby's heart on the monitor.

"Are you the husband?" The nurse asks of me. Most of the nurses in the Emergency Room know who I am by now, but I've never been up here before.

I shake my head and Madison supplies, "No. No, my husband isn't here. He's…I don't actually know where he is right now."

"Okay, then I'm going to have to ask you to wait in the waiting room down the hall," The nurse continues in a brisk manner as she swaps out Madison's IV for a bag of Pitocin and continues to fiddle with the machines hooked up to Madison's belly.

"Why?" Madison asks, attempting to sit up. She finally realizes that something must not be right if I'm being asked to leave her. "What's wrong? What is that?" She asks of the Pitocin. "Why won't you tell me what's happening?"

"Calm down, Mrs. Wycoff," The nurse suggests, "Dr. Gardner will answer all of your questions when he gets in here. I need you to just relax."

"Dr. Gardner?" Madison repeats, her expression becoming even more panicked. "No, Dr. Cullen is my doctor. Please, I want Dr. Cullen." She puts a hand over her mouth as she looks at the readings on her heart monitor screen. "What's wrong with my baby? Why is there no heartbeat?" I guess she knows more than I thought she did about the hospital equipment. She did mention she has two younger brothers, though; maybe she was in the delivery room with her mom.

Nurse Janet, as her tag reads, ignores Madison and ushers me out of the room and into the hallway. She points to a row of chairs a short ways down the hall and informs me I can sit and wait there, if I'd like, but it might be a while and there are more comfortable seats in the waiting room as well as a television. I can hear Madison crying from inside her hospital room, and it is torture not being able to go in and comfort her. I pace the hallway while I wait for the doctor to appear, and when he finally enters her room, I sit at the chair closest to Madison's door so I can hear what is going on inside.

"Madison," Dr. Gardner greets, "How are you feeling? What happened this evening?" He's trying to calm her down by asking for her to tell him the facts, and while she does this, I'd bet anything he's checking that monitor to try and figure out why the baby's heart isn't being picked up. Madison explains how she's been on bed rest, but broke that bed rest tonight when her dog escaped the house. She tells him about the chase and the fall, and how the contractions started right after that. "It looks like you are in labor, Madison. Now, I know it is early and the baby is underdeveloped, so we're going to do an ultrasound. We may need to perform an emergency C-section."

It is silent inside her room after that, the only noises being made by the beeping machines, and the quiet movements of the doctor and nurses in the room.

Madison occasionally asks a question, but she is ignored for the most part. It isn't fair how they're treating her. I definitely don't agree that the best option right now is to keep her in the dark; she needs to know. They can't locate the baby's heartbeat, her labor is early, and there is a great chance that her son isn't going to make it out of her body alive tonight. I'm back to pacing the hallway now.

* * *

An hour goes by. Then two. Dr. Gardner is still inside Madison's room, and I don't know whether to take that as good news or bad news.

After waiting for nearly three hours, I walk down to the nurses' station and ask to use the telephone. I call Quil, who informs me he's still on the couch watching TV, and tell him to come pick me up from the hospital. I could be waiting around all night to find out how Madison and the baby are doing, and I don't want her to think I'm overstaying my welcome. She wanted comfort for the ambulance ride and for the wait before the doctor showed up, but I'm sure right now she wants her husband. He should be here with her to hold her hand and tell her everything is going to be okay, no matter what.

"Sir?"

I turn at the sound of the voice, even though I don't think it's me they're addressing.

"Are you waiting on Madison Wycoff?"

Or maybe I'm wrong and they are talking to me. I nod.

"You can go in to see her now." I am told. When I must surely look confused, the nurse, who is not Nurse Janet, elaborates, "Madison is asking for you."

I frown, thinking to myself that Madison surely was asking for someone other than me. Still, I have to ask, "How is she? The baby? Did he…?"

The nurse purses her lips together in a fine white line as she solemnly shakes her head. "Unfortunately, no. She suffered a stillbirth. There was nothing we could do. The baby was already…gone. He might have been gone a few days. I'm sorry."

Despite the gnawing feeling in my belly that something was wrong, I really had hoped that Nick and I got Madison here in time to save her baby. Sadly, we didn't, and from the sounds of it there was nothing more we could have done either. Still, the fact that no one is to blame isn't going to ease Madison's pain. I can't imagine how she is feeling right now. She's an eighteen-year-old newlywed who just lost her first baby before she got to meet him, and her husband isn't here with her so she's suffering alone. I haven't cried in a very long time, but I have to fight to hold back tears at the news of my imprint's pain and suffering.

When I knock on Madison's door there is no reply. "Madison?" I push open the slightly cracked door, but she's not on the bed. I open the door further, taking in the sight of the room now that I know Madison has delivered a baby in here that she doesn't get to take home with her. There isn't much evidence that such a traumatic event occurred in this very room not too long ago, the only visible object the hospital crib with a white blanket wrapped around a tiny, unmoving bundle. I didn't realize the doctor would leave the baby with Madison, but I suppose it makes sense to give her time to grieve.

The bathroom door opens, and Madison emerges in the jeans, gray t-shirt, and dark green sweatshirt she was wearing when she got here. She tosses a blood-covered hospital gown onto the hospital bed, and besides looking slightly paler than before she looks normal. I know she's not, I know inside she must be feel many things, but right now she is trying to escape from her emotions. "Embry." She sighs my name in relief. "I didn't know if you'd still be here." She walks directly to me, her eyes focused on the door behind my back, and I notice her hands are shaking. "I have to go home. Can you take me home? I mean, I'm sorry. I-I just, I can't be here. I need to go, _now. _I have to get out of here." She starts off sounding composed, but ends on a hysteric note.

"Are you sure you can leave?" I ask, concerned at the thought of her being up and about so soon after delivering a baby. Alive or not, it was still labor and delivery, and even if hospitals aren't required to keep the victim of a stillbirth over-night, they usually want them to stay for a couple of hours. "I don't know if that's really a good idea. Maybe you should wait for..." I rack my brain for the name of her husband, "Matt to get here, and you can both say -"

"No!" Madison bursts covering her face with her hands. "No, I don't want to say goodbye," She speaks through her hands, her voice muffled and broken. "I just want to go. Please. I need to go home." She removes her hands and looks at me pleadingly, her brown eyes brimmed with tears.

"Okay," I agree, knowing I'm unable to refuse her. "I have to tell them we're leaving, though. You can't just disappear from the hospital. Just wait here a second and -"

"No," Madison cuts in again, shaking her head furiously and reaching for my arm, but she stops midway and runs her fingers through her hair, "No, I can't stay in...here. I'll come with you." She continues running her fingers through her hair nervously.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" I ask, levelling myself to her height so that I can get a better look at her face.

"I'm fine," She insists. "I feel fine. My baby is dead. I'm fine. I don't know why. I don't know what I did. I -" She pauses and closes her eyes, taking a shaky breath. She then repeats her previous words, "I want to go home."

I nod and open the door for her, allowing her to step out into the hallway to try and escape her grief. I follow her closely to ensure she doesn't run off. When we get to the nurses' station, Madison tries to bypass, but her attending nurse recognizes her right away.

"Madison? Where are you going? Did Doctor Gardner release you already?"

When Madison refuses to answer the nurse, which might be payback from their earlier treatment of ignoring her questions, she looks to me for answers. "What do you think you're doing? She can't just leave without the Doctor's permission. There's a procedure that has to be followed..."

"You already got all my information when I got here, didn't you?" Madison snaps, "Send me the fucking bill. I'm going home."

"It doesn't work that way," Nurse insists, "You have paperwork to fill out; there are arrangements to be made for your son. You have to -"

Madison sighs in frustration, "I can't _do _anything for you right now. Right now, I need to go home. Right now, you need to let me get out of here before I flip out. Tomorrow, okay? Just...tomorrow." Madison seems too exhausted to form complete sentences, which might not be helping her case any when it comes to being discharged from the hospital.

The nurse stares down Madison for a good long moment before saying the last thing I expected. "Fine. Go on, honey. Go home and get some rest. But expect a call from us in the morning. You'll have to come back." To me, she instructs, "Keep an eye on her." As Madison has already begun to walk towards the direction of the doors out of this wing, she lowers her voice and adds, "She's been through a lot tonight."

"I will," I find myself promising, even though I know that might mean standing outside her and Matt's house all night just to make sure she's okay, because there's virtually no other way of me knowing. I thank her, and then hurry after Madison, who has disappeared out of my sight. She didn't make it too far before I caught up with her; standing right in front of the window of the Nursery. Immediately, my heart aches for her because I know she must be thinking that her son should be there too...and he's not.

Madison seems to feel my presence behind her, or maybe she sees my reflection in the glass of the window, because without turning around she says, "Let's get out of here," and continues on out the double-doors. I keep up with her easily, but don't speak since I'm not sure what I can say to make her feel better, and she's trying to put on such a brave front. She's slowly falling apart though, and I see it happening as her strong movements become strained and her breathing labored; she looks to be only minutes away from dropping to the floor in exhaustion.

"Madison," I caution, "Maybe you need a wheelchair..."

"Huh?" Madison replies, looking to me in complete and utter confusion. "Oh, no, I'm fine." She shrugs, the gesture coming off awkward and causing her to look pained. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine," I argue, "You're pale and shaky; you must be anemic and you must have lost a lot of blood. You should be taking it easy."

Madison quickens her pace, almost like she can run away from the truth of my words. "Look, I appreciate you bringing me here, and staying with me, even though I have no idea why you did, but if I wanted a medical diagnosis on my current condition I would have stayed back in that hospital room..." She points a thumb over her shoulder as she breathes heavily. "So, for the last time, I am..._fine._"

As she puts the emphasis on 'fine', Madison wobbles on her feet before dropping down, and she would have hit the floor as I predicted if I weren't waiting with arms wide open behind her. Only a few seconds after passing out in my arms, Madison blinks and opens her eyes, looking at me and around the hallway as she tries to piece together what just happened. She blushes in embarrassment and tries to stand on her own, but she is too weak. I throw one of her arms over my shoulder and brace her waist with my other arm as I help her to her feet. She opens her mouth to protest, but closes it without saying anything and allows me to carry most of her weight. We make it to the main entrance of the hospital and outside to the guest parking lot with no problems.

Quil is waiting where he can see us, his old blue pick-up truck idling loudly. I can see the confusion ripple over his features before he realizes the girl on my arm is Madison and she is heading towards the truck. He then quickly turns to clear off the seat of the trash and other crap littered across it. By the time I open the passenger door, there is a spot for both Madison and I to sit.

"Hey Quil," I greet, wishing I could psychically tell him not to be a complete idiot on the ride to Madison's since she's in no mood, "This is Madison. Thanks for coming to get us."

"Sure," Quil nods, "Yeah. Nice to meet you, Madison." After a moment of awkward silence as we settle into the truck, Quil asks, "Everything...okay?"

"Fine," Madison says, once again using that word that is the furthest from the truth. "I just need a ride home. Do you mind? I live on Center Spring Road." When Quil confirms he knows the road, she wraps her arms around her body and stares blankly ahead out the windshield.

Quil sends a questioning look at me over her head, but I shake my head. There's no way for me to signal to him what happened, and even if there was I don't know if I'd tell him. Quil has a bad habit of saying stupid things, so who knows what he'd say to Madison in this situation. Then again, I haven't found anything appropriate or helpful to say either, so maybe I should give Dr. Phil Jr. a crack at cheering up Madison. Or maybe she doesn't need any words to be spoken right now. Madison stifles a yawn in the palm of her hand before unconsciously leaning closer to me. Maybe in some way, even though she doesn't know it, I'm bringing her comfort just being here?

"Here we are," Quil announces as he pulls his pick-up in front of Madison and Matt's house.

"Shit," Madison mumbles under her breath when she catches sight of the black Nissan that wasn't in the car when we left. "Matt's home."

I hope out of the truck first, turning to help her down gently since it is somewhat of a high drop to the ground. "I'm glad he's here," I tell her, "You shouldn't have to be alone right now."

"But..." Madison spins around so she's looking me in the face, her whole expression frightened, "What am I supposed to say? How do I tell him...? I don't -" She fights back the tears but loses the war as she asks me, "Why is this happening to _me?_"

Before she can ask me not to, I wrap my arms around her and hug her to me tightly, saying the only thing I can think of, "I know you're hurting right now, but it will get better."

Madison murmurs into the front of my shirt, "I always thought everything happened for a reason, but I don't see the reason for this." With a shuddery sigh, she pulls herself out of my arms and steps away, focusing her eyes on the house where her husband waits. "Thanks again, Embry. I'm sorry for...ruining your night."

She walks away then, her body still moving in an exhausted manner. I watch her the whole time as she walks down the driveway and lets herself in through the side door which I used earlier. When the door shuts behind her, I wait just a little bit longer...

"Matt..." I hear Madison's sweet, sorrowful voice.

"Where have you been, Madison? It's after midnight!" Matt's voice sounds thick with sleep, and he is obviously annoyed at being woken up.

"Me?" Madison returns, "Where have I been? I called you, Matty. You didn't pick up; you never pick up." Matt groans loudly and Madison talks over him, "I was at the hospital. I...I had an accident earlier...right after you left and didn't shut the door behind you. Do you remember that? You let the dog get out, Matt, and I had to chase him down. I got hurt."

"What are you saying, Maddie?" Matt asks suddenly, his tone much more concerned than a moment ago.

"I went into labor early," Maddie shares, her voice cracking, "And...and he-he, our son, he didn't make it." She sobs loudly, and I hear footsteps, and then it sounds like Madison's tears are smothered. I turn to walk away, thinking Matt can take it from here and comfort her, but I stop when I hear Madison start yelling. "Don't touch me. _Don't touch me! _This is your fault, Matt. This is all your fault! You never wanted this! God, what don't you fucking get? _**I don't want you to touch me!**_"

Quil, who obviously can hear the yelling from the truck, waves me over, "Come on, dude, we gotta go. We shouldn't be here right now..."

Reluctantly, I pull myself away from the argument between my imprint and her husband, feeling in my gut it is the wrong thing to do. I shouldn't leave her like this; _she needs me. _But she doesn't know that she needs me, and Quil is right, we shouldn't be here. I wouldn't want Madison to catch me eavesdropping on her and Matt's quarrel. I have to force my legs to walk away from Madison, each step feeling heavier than the last. I want to stay, fulfill my promise to the nurse at the hospital, keep an eye on Madison and make sure she's all right, but I don't get to do what I want to. I don't get to hold Madison and make the pain disappear. I wonder about what she said, about everything happening for a reason, and I hope that she's wrong; everything should happen for a reason, and there was a reason for this terrible tragedy, but I haven't figured it out yet.

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	10. 08 Drowning in Sorrows

**Thanks for the reviews/follows/faves last chapter! I appreciate any and all feedback from you guys :) This is the longest chapter so far, and the one I've been dying to write. It came out exactly like I wanted it to, so I hope you all like it! :)**

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**I Can Show You I'll Be The One **

**08. Drowning in Sorrows**

8 days…19 hours…thirty-six minutes…twelve seconds…

That's how long it's been since I delivered a son who never had a chance at opening his eyes to the world. My baby boy, Camden Ryan Wycoff, who we received a death certificate for the same day we received the birth certificate. We had to name him, all for the sake of paperwork, and pay for a funeral service. It was just Matt and I; Matt refused to allow any of my family to attend, his either. We haven't spoken in as long as Camden has been buried, and I feel so cold and alone. I can picture his tiny body, his skin so pale, and his little blue lips. He was so beautiful…I wish I knew what color his eyes were. I wish I'd taken that moment to hold him in my arms when the doctor told me, because even though I said I wouldn't regret it, I do. I wish I did so many things differently…_I wish it were me who were dead instead. _

7 days…14 hours…twenty-minutes…fifty-five seconds…

That's how long I've in bed, refusing to live my life without my son. I don't know how to function; I physically can't bring myself to carry on in my normal, everyday routine because I feel so lost. I've only been out of bed to pee or to try and choke down some food. I haven't showered because I just don't care. I haven't filled my stomach because I haven't felt hungry in over a week. I haven't spoken a word, to anyone, because I've lost my voice. I am slowly wasting away, and I don't care. I want to waste away. _I want to feel nothing. I want to be nothing._

My mom has stopped over every day since the…since Camden's birthday, but every day she is turned away. Matt won't let her in, won't let anyone in, and I have no energy to argue. It isn't right, what we're doing; locking everyone out and closing ourselves off from the world. I know it isn't right, but I don't do anything about it. I am broken, and no one can fix me, no one can mend this wound.

Matt was given a week off from work, a 'grieving period' as they call it, but I don't think a week is enough time. Not that Matt has been grieving in the same way that I have, laying in bed and starving himself out, no; Matt has been intoxicated nearly the entire week. Matt sleeps all morning and well into the afternoon, and then he leaves, takes off to Anthony's house, where he drinks and does God only knows what to feel numb. I don't agree with his process, but everyone deals with pain differently, and Matt chooses to self-medicate with alcohol and possibly pills. He's supposed to go back to work in two days, though, and I don't know if he's going to be ready.

"Fuck!" I hear Matt swear loudly from the living room, where he's been sleeping to avoid me. "What the fucking fuck?!"

It has captured my attention that he is obviously pissed off about something, but I'm not getting out of bed to find out what it is.

A few seconds later, I hear his footsteps on the floor as he approaches the bedroom and throws the door open. He stands in the doorway for a moment, probably trying to see if I'm sleeping or awake. I could close my eyes and pretend to be sleeping, maybe he'd go away, but I don't.

"Madison," Matt says gruffly, his voice too loud on my sensitive ears, which aren't used to noise after lying silently in bed for so long, "You need to get up. You need to go tell your idiot friends to get_ lost! _We don't need another fucking casserole or a goddamn fruit basket, do you hear me? Just go out there and get rid of them." He gestures wildly behind his back in the direction of the front door, his eyes bugging out of his head and a vein on his forehead popping out angrily.

_Friends? What friends?_ I wonder, making no attempt to get up and follow Matt's orders. I don't have any friends. No one cares about me. No one cares. All we have to do is wait and they'll go away, like everyone else has. I hug the blankets tighter to my body and turn my face into my pillow, shutting out Matt and everything else in the outside world.

"God dammit, don't do that!" Matt yells, suddenly losing all patience with me, if he even had any to begin with, "Madison! What the fuck do you think you're going to do? Lie in this bed until you die? I'm not going to let you do that! You need to get up and start living again! Do you even fucking hear me?! It's like I'm talking to a _wall!_ What happened to my wife?"

"_She lost her baby!_" I shriek like a madwoman, surprising both myself and Matt. My voice sounds strange and foreign after all this time of being unused. It is huskier and scratchy, probably in need of a little water.

"Yeah? Well so did I!" Matt screams back, his voice drowning out the sounds of my sobs as I start to cry. _Great, I went a whole day without crying and now Matt has me crying again. _"Jesus Christ," Matt growls, "Not this shit again. I'm getting the fuck out of here…"

I blink away my tears and watch him stomp out of our bedroom, through the living room and up the stairs, where I hear him open and slam our door. I could have called him back and begged him to stay with me, not to leave me alone, but I don't want to. He knows that I need him here, but he's angry with me. I told him it was his fault Camden didn't make it, I blamed him, and he still hasn't forgiven me. I hear his car start up, the engine louder than usual since he found a hole in his exhaust pipe, and screech out of the driveway and down the street. He's probably going to Anthony's again, so I won't see him for the rest of the day and well into the night.

_I guess I'm all alone again. Maybe I was meant to be alone. Maybe that's why this happened… _

I hear a timid knock, followed by a female voice calling, "Maddie?"

Another female voice joins the first, "Should we just go in like this? Maybe we should call…?"

"I already tried calling," I recognize Heather's reply, "She hasn't picked up at all. She's not going to. I doubt she's even looked at her phone since it happened."

"I guess," Morgan replies, "But Matt seemed pretty mad. We probably shouldn't –"

"Morgan," Heather chides, "How would you feel if you lost your baby and none of your friends came by to support you? She shouldn't be alone. We have to do something."

Their voices grow closer as they slowly creep down the stairs, wander through the kitchen and the living room, and then finally approach the bedroom. The door is wide open, like Matt left it, and Morgan and Heather walk right in, both with soft footsteps and voices. They smile down at me sympathetically when I open my eyes, and even though most of my mind is screaming for them to get out, part of me is grateful to have someone here.

"Oh, Maddie," Heather speaks to me like I'm a child, "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. Everything seemed so perfect a few weeks ago; I can't believe this is happening." She shakes her head and purses her lips together, looking in her blue eyes like she might start to cry.

I appreciate her thoughtfulness, but I don't have anything to say. Morgan seems to notice I'm not speaking, so she explains, "We really didn't want to barge in and bother you, but we were starting to get worried. You haven't called us back, and," she shrugs, "well; I guess we can see now we were right to worry."

Heather nods, "Yeah, you're not taking care of yourself, Maddie. Have you eaten anything at all? You look like you lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you, and it is not all baby weight. How do you feel? You don't look good."

_Wow, thanks for that, Heather_. I feel like saying, _Thanks for telling me I look like shit. I'd like to see how good you look after suffering a stillbirth_. Instead, I breathe in sharply and feel tears pricking my eyes.

"Oh, no, honey," Heather quickly recovers, "That's not what I meant." She shakes her head rapidly, her blonde ponytail whipping back and forth. "I just mean, we're here to help. We're going to cook you something to eat, or just buy you a big tub of ice cream; whichever you'd prefer. We're going to get you up and showered, and wash these bed sheets. We're going to help you, okay?"

I look from Heather's blue stare to Morgan's determined hazel-green eyes, and I realize they're not going to be taking 'no' for an answer. They came here to help me, and they won't be leaving until they do exactly that. I guess I could scream and throw a complete bitch fit, and they might leave, but I don't have the energy for that. I begrudgingly accept their offer and allow Morgan and Heather to pick out a clean outfit for me and shove me into the bathroom with a towel for a shower.

While I'm in the shower, I think about the effort Heather and Morgan just took to drag me out of my depression. Sure, I'm not out of it yet, but they're trying, and that's more than I can say for myself. I haven't tried to cope or to heal, I've given in to the pain and the depression because I didn't want to try and feel better._ I wasn't ready to let go. _I'm still not truly ready to let go, but I have realized that I haven't been fair to Matt. I've blamed Matt for something completely out of his control, and probably pushed him to drinking so much, and possibly even using again. If he's using again, I can safely say it is my fault, because I made him believe Camden's death was directly resulted by his actions. I was so wrong, I was so cruel, to do that to him. Dr. Cullen, who I finally got to see the day after losing Camden, explained to me that my son's autopsy report helped them conclude there was little hope that Camden would have survived even if he made it full-term. There were complications, possibly stemmed from the trauma of the car accident back in June, and Camden probably should have died then, but he didn't. He carried on, suffering, only to die months later. It isn't fair, none of it is fair, but I can't keep blaming Matt. _I can't. _

By the time I've showered and dressed in the plain blue jeans and simple green and navy-blue striped v-neck sweater, Heather and Morgan have stripped my and Matt's bed of the sheets and comforter and thrown them in the washing machine. They've also tidied up the bedroom and the living room, and loaded up the dish washer in the kitchen. I am grateful for their help, and surprised it only took them an hour to do all the house work I've been putting off since Camden's death. I was so overwhelmed, but I guess all I needed to do was ask for help.

"Thank you," I finally say to Heather and Morgan, the first words I've spoken to them since their arrival. "You guys didn't have to do that…"

"We wanted to," Heather assures me, "Right, Morgan?"

"Yeah," Morgan nods earnestly, "We're here for you, Maddie. Whatever you need, just don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks," I repeat.

I sigh and take a seat at the kitchen table, surprised I feel so much better after just having a long, hot shower. I still ache on the inside, but my body feels rejuvenated. I am more awake, too, than I've been all week. I don't have that overwhelming urge to crawl in bed and fall asleep…_not yet, anyways_. I decide to locate my cell phone and check up on Matt. I ignore the many, many calls and messages from my mom, Edwin, Samantha, my brothers, and of course, Morgan and Heather since they're here now. I open a new message to Matt and send him an apology, asking him to please come back so we can talk and forgive each other.

Matt replies: **Honestly, Madison, I'm not in the mood. I don't feel like talking with you. I'm still mad. I killed our son, remember? So don't apologize to me because I'm not ready to forgive you. **

After I read his text, the bed is looking a whole like comfier than it did minutes before. I understand that he's mad, and I realize I hurt him, but to say to me, _his wife_, that he doesn't want to talk or to forgive me is hurtful too. I don't know what else I can say or do to make Matt realize how sorry I am. When will he forgive me? Maybe he won't. Maybe he's not going to forgive me at all, and he doesn't care anymore, because…he doesn't want to be with me. Oh God, he's going to leave me, I know he is.

"Madison?" Morgan asks questioningly, "Did you hear me?"

I blink to refocus my eyes and then shake my head, "No, sorry."

"That's okay," Morgan replies good-naturedly, "I was just asking what you might want to eat? Heather and I could cook you and Matt something for dinner, if you want?"

"He's not going to be here," I answer emotionlessly, "I don't know where he is or when he's coming back. So…"

Morgan and Heather exchange not-so-subtle looks with one another, and then Heather quickly covers by offering, "Well, what about you? We'll cook for you. Or, better yet, take you out somewhere! How about your favorite place? It'd be good for you to get out of the house, don't you think?"

"I don't know…" I reply hesitantly, "I'm not sure I can…sit in a restaurant full of happy people. I don't feel happy. And I…I feel like everyone who looks at me knows what happened. It makes me uncomfortable."

Morgan, who has been patting Brewser on the head since he awoke from his doggy bed in the bedroom, suggests, "OK, that's okay; we can order food from Riverside and then pick it up. We'll take it to the beach and eat at the picnic tables. We can even bring Brewser, if you want."

I look from Morgan to Brewser to Heather and then nod timidly, "Okay," I agree, "We can do that, I guess. But –" I abruptly stop talking, rethinking whether or not my plan is a good one or a bad one.

"What?" Heather asks curiously.

I decide it is a good idea, and continue, "We're going to need alcohol,_ lots _of alcohol."

Morgan chuckles, looking to Heather with a smug grin as she says, "I told you. Do I know my girl, or do I know my girl? Yes, babe, we have alcohol for you."

I want to correct Morgan that I'm not usually a drinker, and I don't normally turn to alcohol when I'm feeling shitty or overwhelmed. I can handle myself, but this isn't any normal shitty day or situation and I need something extra to get me by. I guess I just want to be numb for a while. I need to be numb for a while, and maybe after the numbness wears off and the pain returns, it won't hurt so bad as it did before.

* * *

By the time we pick up our dinner order and drive down to First Beach, it is after 8PM and the sun had set hours ago. The moon is out tonight though, and along with the stars it helps to brighten up the beach and the picnic table where we choose to eat. The few lamp posts in the beach parking lot also bring some light to the darkness. I tie Brewser's leash to the fence separating the sand on the beach from the paved picnic area, and he sits at attention while he waits for pieces of food from our plates to fall so that he can gobble them up. Morgan brought two bottles of generic red wine, a bottle of McCormick's Vodka, and an opened bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey from her house, hoping to cheer me up with one of them. Heather chooses the wine first, since she says it complements our fine dinner choices, and we finish both bottles with dinner. The wine bottles were so small; we got three glasses of wine each from both of them combined. I'm not ready to go home after that, so we crack open the McCormick's and start drinking that too.

"I'm sorry," Heather splutters after her first shot of vodka, "But this is disgusting! We really need to get something to chase this with. Ew," She grimaces.

"You're such a _baby_," Morgan teases. Heather's eyes widen and she shoves Morgan's shoulder, causing her to nearly fall out of her seat at the picnic table. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Calmly, since wine makes me very chill, I point out, "It's okay, Heather. You guys are allowed to use the word 'baby'. Not like I can delete the word from the dictionary or anything…"

"Oh," Morgan winces when she realizes what she did, "I'm sorry. That was stupid though. I should have-"

"I said it's okay," I insist.

Morgan and Heather stare at me quietly until both of them are speaking at once. Heather asking, "Do you want to talk about it?" and Morgan reassuring me, "You can talk to us, if you need to."

Reaching across the table, I slide the bottle of McCormick's towards me as I reply, "I appreciate the offer, but I really don't want to talk about it. At all." I lift the bottle to my lips and take a long swig, not minding the burning as the vodka slides down my throat. When I replace it on the table, I add, "And it's not because I don't want to tell you two specifically about it. There's not a single person that I would want to discuss the details of my son's death with. Not even Matty. It's just – it hurts too much to think about, let alone talk about. Maybe someday…but not any time soon."

"It's okay," Morgan nods, "When you're ready, we'll be here."

"So…" Heather changes the subject, "Should I run over to the mini-mart and pick up some soda or juice for this? There's one right across the street; I could walk there." Heather points out the mini-mart that is, in fact, right across the street.

"Good idea," Morgan brightens up, "Maybe they have something chocolaty in there we can get for dessert. We could all walk over."

"They probably won't let a dog inside," I inform them, "I'll just wait here with Brewser."

"All right," Morgan says as she and Heather stand up and grab their handbags. "We'll be right back, Madds."

After they cross the street, Brewser starts to whine and tug on his leash, so I decide to untie him and walk him around the beach a bit to wear off some of his energy. I grab the McCormick's and sip from it as we walk, letting Brewser lead me wherever he feels like going. I take off my socks and sneakers so I can walk barefoot, because it is easier that way. Before I know it, we've walked a quarter of a mile down the beach, in the direction of the cliffs First Beach is known for, and I can't see the picnic tables anymore. Instead of turning back, I keep walking, because the sand feels so nice and cool between my toes, and Brewser is bounding along happily in front of me, his tail wagging back and forth. I think I hear my name being called, but it sounds so far away, and I can't remember who I came here with…In fact, I can't remember how I got here either, or why...?

I lift the bottle of vodka to my lips for one more sip, just one more, because I really have had too much already, but I find that when I tip the bottle nothing comes out. _It's empty. _I look down the neck of the bottle, squinting with one eye closed so I can see inside, but it really is empty in there. I shake it around just to be double-sure, and then look down at Brewser and announce, "I'm all outta booze, Brews." Then I giggle because that rhymed.

"Huh!" I gasp, slapping my hand over my mouth. That's the first time I've laughed since Camden _died._ I feel like I just got punched in the gut. I feel like I betrayed my baby boy somehow. I can't laugh, I can't be happy, when he's gone. What am I even doing here? Why am I out of the house? I shouldn't be here...I should be at home. I should be mourning.

"Oh God," I moan out loud, dropping the empty bottle of McCormick's into the sand, "What am I doing here? Where's...where's Morgan and Heather?" I spin around in a circle, trying to assess my location on the beach. Brewser and I made it all the way down to the cliffs, and the picnic area is very far from here. _How'd we get so far away? _I don't feel like walking back at all. I puff out a breath of air between my lips, making a 'pffft' noise, before crossing my arms and sitting down on a nearby rock.

Brewser yips playfully and tugs on the bottom of my jeans with his teeth, trying to pull me to my feet again. "No," I tell him gently. "I'm too tired. I need to rest first." He snorts and walks a few feet away, tugging on my wrist, where the leash is looped around. "Stop it, Brewser," I order sleepily, resting my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands. Suddenly, Brewser tugs harder, and my hand flies out from under my chin, making me pitch forward and allowing the leash to slip off my wrist. Brewser dashes towards the woods...

"Brewser, no!" I shout, feeling a sense of déjà vu come over me. _Didn't this already happen? _"Not again!" I throw my arms up in annoyance and chase after him, even as I'm remembering that the last time I chased Brewser into the woods something very bad happened, and I don't want to be in the woods at all. It is darker in the woods, but at least there's a trail, one that Brewser seems to think he knows quite well with how fast he's running up the steep incline that twists and winds through the trees and up to the top of the cliffs. I am really glad now for the full moon; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see a thing.

_Yip-yip! _Brewser barks happily, looking back over his shoulder to ensure that I'm following him. He has no idea that I'm not playing, I'm chasing his ass down, but I'm too out of breath to scold him trekking uphill like this. Brewser wags his tail, slowing a bit as we reach the top of the path. He emerges from the tree line first, and I follow him out onto the broad cliff top overlooking First Beach and the ocean. There's another beach to the left of the cliffs that I've never been to before. There's a bonfire down there, and people sitting around it. To the right, on First Beach, I can see two tiny dots, people, walking down the beach, and I wonder briefly if it is Heather and Morgan looking for me. Then, I see that Brewser has curled up in the rocky surface of the cliff top, his head resting on his paws as he overlooks the ocean. He is panting and seems just as out of breath as I am.

"Sure," I tease as I sit down beside him and pat his head, "Now you're tired." I roll my eyes and dangle my feet over the edge of the cliff, looking down for a moment at my two bare feet. Out loud, I ask, "Where the fuck are my shoes?" I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the disoriented feeling, but I drank way too much vodka to be rid of it that easily. _I lost my shoes, for God's sake. _I sigh and lean on Brewser, who has grown so much in the past couple months. I close my eyes for a minute.

I feel my body slowly falling forward, and somehow part of me is still conscious enough to realize I'm falling asleep and sitting on the edge of a cliff. For a moment, I try and decipher whether the swaying of my body is simply a side effect of being intoxicated or if I'm really about to topple over the edge. At the thought of falling to my death, my eyes to snap open and I jerk upright. I _was_ leaning forward, I_ was _going to fall! My heart is racing and I quickly stand and step away from the edge a few feet, feeling entirely too close to death for my liking. _But isn't that what I wanted earlier? Didn't I admit that I'd rather be dead than feel like this?_

I move forward again, standing so close to the edge that the tips of my toes curl over and grip the cliff's edge. I look down at the dark water crashing on the rocks below, some spots too dark to see anything at all, making the rocks look like giant, jagged spikes stretching out of a black abyss...If I fell, I would not survive.

"You're not going to jump, are you?"

I don't know why his voice doesn't startle me over the edge of the cliff, but it is almost like I could sense his presence even before he spoke. I know don't how; Matt sneaks up on me all the time and scares the shit out of me. I don't look back at him as I reply, "No...just...thinking about what it'd feel like."

"Then can you maybe step away from the edge a little? You're making me nervous."

I can tell from his voice he is closer now, and not only that I can practically feel him standing behind me. It is almost like there's a heat radiating off him, and it is strangely alluring...I step back an inch and turn finally to look at him over my shoulder. "There, better?" I raise my eyebrows and study his face for a moment, trying to see if he's going to play the pity-party game with me like Heather and Morgan have been. After all, he was there that night, and he knows first-hand what happened.

"A little," Embry shrugs one of his shoulders, his eyes also searching my face; for what, I'm not sure...maybe to assess _my _emotions? "What are you doing up here?"

"I..." I pause to think, my drunken, sluggish brain trying to recall once again where I am and how I got here, "Oh, my friends made me get out of the house. They're down there somewhere," I point to the right and see that the two dots from before are headed back towards the parking lot, "Actually, I think that's them right there. They're probably leaving without me..." I pout at the little Morgan and Heather dots on the sand, "Bitches."

Embry follows my direction and comments, "Should you go catch up with them?"

"No," I decide, shaking my head. I look down at the spot where Brewser is sleeping and continue, "I can't walk that far right now. I'm too tired. I'm just gonna sit up here...and wait."

"Wait for what?" Embry asks curiously.

I shrug sheepishly and confess, "I'm a lottle," I stumble over my words and giggle at the outcome, repeating, "_lottle, __**wow**_! I meant a _little _but I guess I'm a _lot _drunk right now if I can't even talk." I shake my head at my stupidity and solemnly swear never to drink again. "I'm too drunk. Can't walk. Don't wanna." I wrinkle up my nose and smile up at Embry, blurting out, "You're tall."

"Yeah, you told me that before, remember? All right," Embry reaches out with both hands and grabs my elbows, pulling me towards him and away from the cliff's edge, "Why don't you just stay over..." He walks backward until he's decided we're far enough away, "...here. That way you won't fall into the ocean. Okay?"

"Okay," I nod, thinking that he makes a lot of sense right now. He releases my arms and I decide I want to sit, so I do. I notice my bare feet again and announce to Embry, "I lost my shoes." He sits down next to me. "What if Heather and Morgan found them and think I walked into the ocean to die or something? Oh God, I hope they don't call the police."

"Why would they think you'd do that?" Embry questions, "What about Brewser? Would they think you took him into the ocean with you?"

"I don't know," I comment, "But there are people who kill their pet when they commit suicide; I read an article in the paper about a man who shot his dog and then himself. It was so sad." I realize how dark and morbid this conversation is, but the words spill out of my mouth uncontrollably, "I would never kill Brewser. I love him too much. Do you think he'd have jumped with me if I jumped? I wondered if he would, because dogs are really loyal, you know? Maybe he'd have tried to save me."

"Did you want to jump, Madison?" Embry asks me seriously, and I frown at him suspiciously. He seems genuinely concerned, but I don't understand why he cares so much; he doesn't really know me.

And I don't really know him..."I just want my son. But I can't have him. So maybe I wanted to jump a little bit. I don't know. I...I don't want to die, though. I don't think I could really do it."..._so why am I spilling my most personal thoughts to him? _Embarrassed by my words, I try to change the subject by asking any question to get the topic off of myself, "What are you doing here, anyway? You popped out of nowhere again, like last time." _Last time_…Somehow every conversation links back to Camden's death, as much as I'd like not to talk about it.

Gesturing to the beach I've never been to before, Embry answers, "My friends are having a party."

"What's the special occasion?" I wonder, grateful he took the bait and didn't mention my wanting to jump off the cliff bit.

Embry shrugs, and replies nonchalantly, "My birthday," like it's not a big deal or anything.

"It's your birthday?" I ask, straightening up from my previously slouched position, "Today?" Embry nods. "Oh, happy birthday! What are you doing up here then? You should be down with your friends celebrating." I almost lean forward and give him a birthday hug, which is tradition with friends and family, but then I realize that Embry and I aren't really friends so maybe I shouldn't. I decide on a smile instead, although I'm pretty sure it was more awkward-looking than it was friendly. _I've forgotten how to smile._

"Well, the party's over now," Embry tells me, "And I don't think I should leave you up here alone when you're this drunk, do you?"

Something in the way he's looking at me through those dark eyes of his makes my heart start pounding loudly in my chest. I take a slow, deep breath, trying to relax but my heart is still thumping hard. My thoughts get clouded and I hardly remember what question he asked, but I still nod my head.

Embry smiles and shakes his head slightly, "You do? Well, I think I'm still going to stay. Is that okay?"

I blink slowly and nod again. I tear my eyes away from his since I don't like the crazy butterflies in my stomach and look up at the moon. I lean back on the palms of my hands, stretching my legs out in front of me and linking my bare feet together at the ankle. "It's pretty here," I state, "I've never been up here before."

"It is pretty," Embry agrees, but when I glance at him he's looking at me, and I blush and look away.

_He's not talking about me; I look terrible, not pretty. Remember what Heather said? _I pick up a small pebble and roll it between my fingertips, trying to ignore the fact that Embry hasn't taken his eyes off me once in the past few minutes. I feel flushed under his gaze, and it is such a strange feeling because I haven't felt it in a long time. Matt used to tell me I was pretty, and beautiful, gorgeous even, but he hasn't said that in a long time. He hasn't made my heart race or my cheeks blush since…well, _ever_ actually. I don't think Matty ever made me feel as nervous as I do right now, and that's scary.

I bravely meet Embry's eyes when I start to speak, "Matt says that, uh…that he never left my side that night that we crashed." I look down at the ground for a moment, but look back up as I continue, "But I don't understand why he'd lie to me. And I _know _he's lying, because the _only _part about that night that I remember is…you. Everything else is just blackness." Embry listens to me speak with a thoughtful expression on his face, which is more than I can say for Matt, who never looks at me when I'm talking to him and usually isn't listening either. "The doctor said I probably won't ever remember what happened, that my memory was lost when I hit my head. He also said that…that the impact of the crash was probably what eventually caused me to lose…_Camden._" My throat tightens up when I mention his name, but I push through because for some reason I need to get this off my chest and Embry has to be the one I tell it to. "If we were never in that accident…none of this would have happened. I blame Matt, for crashing the car, but I…I blame myself for not being able to protect my baby. _I _should have been stronger. Maybe he would still be here then."

"Madison," Embry's voice is low and hesitant, like he doesn't want to upset me with his words, "You can't keep blaming yourself." His big, warm hand finds my shoulder. "It's _not _your fault, and it's not Matt's fault, either. It's no one's _fault_, and it's a horrible tragedy, but the guilt you're feeling is going to eat you alive." His words are the first ones spoken to me in regards to Camden's death that don't sound phony, that don't make me want to scream and shout and break everything in sight. "You have to forgive yourself," He tells me gently, "Because there was nothing you could have done."

The warmth his hand is sending up my neck causes a shiver to run through my whole body, and I feel goosebumps break out on my skin despite the warm sweater I'm wearing. I shrug the shoulder his hand is on and press my cheek against his fingers as I mumble, "Feels like it should be my fault." I don't think of how strange it might seem to him that I'm rubbing my face against his hand like a cat would, just that in this moment I don't feel as broken and alone as I have all week. I don't want to feel broken and alone again.

"It's not," Embry insists with a shake of his head, the hand on my shoulder now moving to lightly rub my back. It is comforting, and I find myself moving closer to him, like one magnet being drawn to another. I feel my side press into his, and I almost jump up and run away, because I'm not sure why I'm feeling this way towards Embry…but I don't leave because I feel safe here. _Why is that? _"Promise me you're going to be okay," Embry is saying in my ear, "Promise you won't hurt yourself?"

I turn my head sharply to look at him, hearing the urgency in his tone. My eyes widen when I realize how close we are, how his face is only inches from mine, and how serious his expression is. _He is waiting for me to promise…_My heart starts pounding hard again, feeling as though it's making its way up my throat. It is pumping so hard it almost feels painful, and I feel like I can't breathe, like I'm drowning; like I'm going to burst if I don't do _something_. I lower my gaze from his dark eyes to his dimpled chin and his lips, and then I bounce them back up to his eyes again. I swallow thickly before leaning in and pressing my lips against his hard. I squeeze my eyes shut and put everything I've got into it, surprised to feel his lips move against mine almost as desperately. I pull away first, gasping for air.

_I shouldn't have done that, _Is my first thought, but I don't blurt it out loud. _I'm married. I'm __**married**__. _But I don't say that either, because Embry already knows that I'm married, and that would sound like I'm blaming him for what just happened. I can't blame him. This time, I really can blame myself for what occurred because it was _me _who kissed _him. _And even though I'm married and it was wrong, I don't wish it hadn't happened. I…don't regret it at all.

I resettle myself against Embry, my body insisting on remaining close to him, and I lean my head on his shoulder. I yawn, feeling the exhaustion from this evening's events finally set in. Remembering that Embry had asked something of me before, I answer, "I promise." Then, I feel Embry's arms wrap around me, and I am so comfortable and _safe_ that my eyes start to droop and I fall asleep right away…

* * *

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